Crisis Teams with Autism Experience 

During an Autism-related crisis, families may choose to access crisis services instead of a traditional law enforcement response when safety permits. Crisis services are designed to support individuals who may be overwhelmed, dysregulated, or experiencing a behavioral or emotional emergency. Teams are trained in de-escalation, communication differences, and sensory sensitivities, with a focus on calming the situation and keeping everyone safe. Using crisis services can help ensure your autistic loved one is treated with understanding, dignity, and appropriate support during a difficult moment.

It’s important to familiarize yourself with these resources before an emergency, so you know who to call, what to say, and what to expect (who may respond, hours of availability, and level of Autism specific experience).

What to Say When Calling 911 or a Mobile Crisis Line:

  • “Hi, I’m calling because a family member with Autism is in crisis right now. They are not violent, but they are very overwhelmed and have trouble regulating. We need    behavioral health support and de-escalation, not a law enforcement response.”
  • “Can you send a mobile crisis team or a clinician who has experience working with autistic individuals?”
  • “I need help with an Autism-related crisis. This is a behavioral health emergency, not a criminal situation.”
  • “My family member has Autism and/or an intellectual or developmental disability and may not respond well to commands or loud voices.”
  • “If available, we are requesting a behavioral health response team—such as CBAT in Riverside County or CCRT/COAST in San Bernardino County.”

Riverside County
Cal-FURS – foster children (California Family Urgent Response System)
https://www.cal-furs.org/
1 (833) 939-3877
Text: (833) 939-3877
24/7 phone hotline staffed with caring counselors trained in conflict resolution and de-escalation. Provides current and former foster youth and their caregivers with immediate, trauma-informed support when needed—County Mobile Response and Stabilization Teams and in-home de-escalation, stabilization, conflict resolution, and support services.

Pacific Clinics’ Neurodevelopmental Center 
pacificclinics.org/center-for-divergent-connections/
Upland – (909) 266-2810
Email: centerfordivergentconnections@pacificclinics.org
Provides crisis stabilization services for both counties through traditional services (017) and the Self-Determination program. Coming soon: Mobile crisis for all Regional Center clients in Riverside County (launch by Jan 2027).

Riverside County Crisis Helpline
(951) 686-HELP (4357) – This number is an alternative to 988 and connects you with Riverside County’s 24/7, free, and confidential support. Trained counselors can dispatch Mobile Crisis Response Teams (clinical therapists + behavioral health specialists) to your location.

Riverside University Health System 
www.rcdmh.org
CARES Line – (800) 499-3008
Riverside – (951) 509-2499
Perris – (951) 349-4195
24/7 Mental Health Urgent Care. “Referral Center- phone assistance only”. Crisis intervention, psychiatric assessments, recovery management, medication services, case management, and dual-diagnosis treatment.

Riverside County Mobile Crisis Response Team
ruhealth.org/behavioral-health/crisis-support-system-care
(951) 686-HELP
24/7 field-based crisis response teams consisting of Clinical Therapists, Behavioral Health Specialists, and Peer Support Specialists working collaboratively with Law Enforcement, Emergency Department personnel, and community members to divert individuals in a behavioral health crisis to the appropriate level of needed care. Mobile Crisis Response Teams can reduce the need for inpatient hospitalizations and decrease the time that Law Enforcement and Emergency Department Personnel spend with individuals in a behavioral health crisis. They work with individuals of all ages and backgrounds.

Community Behavioral Health Assessment Team (CBAT)
In Riverside County, families can also request a CBAT if they live in a participating city. Riverside County CBAT includes two specially trained law enforcement officers and two County clinical therapists who respond together to mental health-related calls. The therapist leads behavioral health assessment and support, while officers provide safety oversight. These services are not 24/7 and typically operate Monday – Friday: 7:00 am – 4:00pm. You can request a CBAT team by calling 911 or your local law enforcement non‑emergency number and asking for a CBAT team.

When calling, say: “This is a mental health/behavioral health crisis. If available, we are requesting a Community Behavioral Health Assessment Team (CBAT)”.

CBAT services are available in the following jurisdictions:

  • Riverside Police Department
  • Banning Police Department
  • Beaumont Police Department
  • Cabazon Sheriff
  • Cathedral City Police Department
  • Hemet Police Department
  • Hemet Sheriff
  • Indio Police Department
  • Jurupa Sheriff
  • Lake Elsinore Sheriff
  • Menifee Police Department
  • Moreno Valley Sheriff
  • Murrieta Police Department
  • Palm Desert Sheriff
  • Perris Sheriff
  • Temecula Sheriff

San Bernardino County
https://wp.sbcounty.gov/dbh/
San Bernardino County uses Community Crisis Response Teams (CCRT) and COAST-style clinician law enforcement partnerships, coordinated through the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH). Please note that it is best to contact these resources directly rather than go through 911. The dispatcher may determine that Law Enforcement assistance is needed when:

  • There is concern about immediate danger to the individual or others
  • A weapon is reported or suspected.
  • A criminal issue is involved.

Community Crisis Response Teams (CCRT)
(909) 421-9233
Designed to support individuals experiencing mental health, behavioral, or emotional crises, including autism-related crises. Teams focus on de-escalation, safety, and connection to care. While they may not have experience with Autism, they are intended as an alternative or supplement to traditional law enforcement responses when appropriate. Available countywide by region (East Valley, West Valley, High Desert). Contact CCRT by dialing between 7 am and 10 pm daily.

San Bernardino County Mobile Crisis Response (not for Autism but for mental health concerns) 
https://wp.sbcounty.gov/dbh/urgentcare-2/
(800) 398-0018
(909) 420-0560
24/7/365 behavioral health service that supports individuals experiencing mental health emergencies, suicidal or homicidal thoughts, psychosis, depression or anxiety, and drug‑ or alcohol‑related crises. Services are available 24/7 and focus on assessment, de‑escalation, and connection to care. Service in English and Spanish and includes assessments and referrals to appropriate behavioral health care services.

Community Outreach and Support Teams (COAST)
Pairs trained behavioral health clinicians with law enforcement to respond to calls involving mental health or behavioral health concerns. COAST teams are knowledgeable about communication differences, sensory needs, and strategies to reduce escalation—making them especially helpful during autism-related crises. The COAST programs are available in the following areas:

  • COAST – Fontana
    Responds to calls involving mental health and behavioral health needs, providing assessment, crisis stabilization, and linkage to services.
  • COAST – Ontario
    Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
    Participation must be initiated by an on-scene officer responding to a call. When available, COAST clinicians assist with evaluation, de-escalation, and referrals to appropriate support.
  • COAST – San Bernardino City
    Supports individuals and families during behavioral health or mental health crises within the City of San Bernardino, with an emphasis on safety, stabilization, and connection to ongoing care.
  • COAST – San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
    Provides crisis response services in unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County and contracted cities, working alongside Sheriff’s deputies to address mental health-related calls.

Autism Society Options Policy

This Resource Guide was developed to provide families and professionals with an opportunity to find resources related to autism in the Inland Empire in one place.

All information provided or published by the Autism Society Inland Empire is for information purposes only. Specific treatment, therapy or services should be provided to an individual only at the direction of the individual’s doctor, caregiver, or other qualified professional. References to any treatment or therapy option, program, service, or treatment provider are not an endorsement by the Autism Society. References of treatments, therapies, programs, services, and/or providers are not intended to be comprehensive statements. You should investigate alternatives that may be more appropriate for a specific individual. The Autism Society assumes no responsibility for the use made of any information published or provided. The Autism Society Inland Empire provides information, but it does not constitute medical or legal information. Referrals provided are suggestions to organizations that might help, but do not constitute a recommendation. The Autism Society Inland Empire cannot be held responsible for consequences that arise from individual dealings with a professional or organization. The inclusion of any organization does not imply endorsement, and omission does not imply disapproval. The Autism Society Inland Empire may add or remove organizations from this list at its discretion.