PROCEDURE TASK GUIDE
Function
Task Group
Process
Identifier
Job Roles
Service Center
Service Center General
Handling Threats Made by Consumers
SC.155.2
Service Center Representative (SCR), Consumer, Service
Center Supervisor, Service Center Manager, Covered CA
Headquarters Management, Building Emergency Coordinator,
Covered CA Emergency Coordinator, Covered CA Legal Team
Protocol
Consumer
Protocol Steps
Makes a threat to an individual(s) or a physical location. May
include the following threats to:
 Cause harm to:
o Covered California employee(s).
o County Eligibility Worker(s) - Medi-Cal or other
County/State of California benefit programs.
o Certified Enrollment Counselors, Insurance
Agents or other workers associated with Covered
California, Medi-Cal or the State of California.
 Cause damage to a Covered CA Service Center, Covered
CA office or other County, State or Entity facility.
 Cause harm to a public official or to a political leader such
as the Governor of California or the President of the
United States.
 Cause harm to individuals in their immediate area.
 Commit suicide.
 Answer a call from the consumer.
 Acknowledge the consumer’s concerns and make positive
comments to determine if you can assist them with an
inquiry or problem.
SCR
Use words like “How may I assist you today?” or “Is there
anything I can do to help you resolve an issue or concern
you have with Covered California? I will do my best to assist
you.”
IF there is an obvious indication that the caller demonstrates
clear and present danger to themselves or others in their
immediate area:
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
Keep the caller on the line, and gather the necessary
information about the situation needed for emergency
personel, including:
o Name of caller
o Address of caller (If caller is using a cell phone,
ask WHERE they are. Very important!)
o Telephone number of caller.
o Age of caller.
o Nature of danger (is there a gun or other weapon)
o What other people are present with the caller?
o What event precipitated the call?
o Does the caller have a therapist or other mental
health professional they are working with? If so,
has the caller contacted that person? What is the
name of the treating professional?
Attempt to call an emergency contact number in the city the
caller is calling from:
Two people are required to handle the call.
 Place the caller on mute (do not place the consumer on
hold or transfer the call).
 Get the attention of a Supervisor or Manager as quickly
as possible.
 Remain on the line with the caller. Allow them to talk and
note any additional information they provide.
 Second person -Supervisor, Manager, other staff
member:
o Call 411 to request an emergency listing for the
city and state of the caller’s location. Or access
the internet to search for an emergency number.
For an internet search, numbers typically list under
City, State and then “emergency number” “nonemergency number” or “Police”. In most cases,
any of these numbers are available 24X7 and they
can contact the 911 line for the caller’s city.
o Call the number and explain you are from a Call
Center with a customer on the line in their city who
is threatening to harm themselves or others in
their area.
o Request the call be dispatched to a 911 operator.
o Explain the situation and provide details as
needed to the emergency staff.
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o
Remain on the line with emergency staff and the
consumer as long as needed to obtain information
and provide assistance.
Note: You must still respect the privacy of Protected Health
Information (PHI) even when talking with emergency assistive
personnel. You may identify yourself as working for Covered
California. Do not acknowledge whether the caller is a Covered
CA consumer, medical or known drug history, or their status as a
consumer with Covered CA.
You can disclose PHI information if needed when explaining the
situation with County Eligibility Workers or to law enforcement
personel involved in the reporting of a crime.

Document the entire content of the conversation you have
with the caller in the CRM Incident.
IF the caller makes a Bomb threat, follow the Bomb Threat
procedures found in the Covered California EAP (Emergency
Action Plan).
IF the consumer is threatening suicide:
 Take all suicidal threats seriously.
 Remain calm, speak calmly and listen carefully.
 Recognize and acknowledge the consumer’s situation.
 Reassure the consumer that help is available.
 Ask the consumer if they are distraught over an issue or
problem that Covered CA can assist them with. If so,
ensure the consumer that you will work with them to
assist them in any way possible. Offer to get assistance
from a Supervisor or other resources at Covered CA as
needed. Reassure the consumer that Covered CA will do
everything possible to help them resolve the issue.
 Do not put the consumer on hold or transfer the
consumer.
 With the caller on mute, do get a Supervisor’s attention
so the Supervisor can assist you, take over the call or
contact emergency services or law enforcement. As soon
as a Supervisor can take over the call, pass the phone
over to the Supervisor instead of transferring.
 The Supervisor will determine the urgency of the situation
and call emergency phone numbers if needed per the
“Attempt to call an emergency contact number in the city
the caller is calling from” section of this protocol.
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Additional steps to take for threats of suicide:
 Encourage the consumer to speak with a crisis center or
mental health facility. Explain that there are trained
professionals to assist them if they are depressed or
distraught.
 Offer to transfer the consumer to the National Suicide
Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Perform a warm transfer
- stay on the line as long as necessary until you have
introduced the caller to the Suicide Hotline representative.
If the consumer does not want to be transferred:
o Remain on the phone.
o Do not place the caller on hold or transfer the
consumer to another line.
o Ask the consumer for his/her name, present
location and phone number (if different from their
home address and telephone number in the
Contact record).
o Ask the consumer to talk about what they are
planning on doing.
o Ask if the consumer is currently receiving any
treatment.
o Ask if the consumer has been using any
medication, drugs or alcohol. If an overdose is
suspected, have a Supervisor contact local
emergency services to send an ambulance to their
location.
o Ask the consumer if they have a weapon. If so,
ask them to place the weapon in another room
while you remain on the phone. Have a Supervisor
contact local emergency services.
o Ask the consumer if there is anyone else with
him/her.
o Provide the telephone number for the National
Suicide Hotline. Explain that the number is
available 24X7.
o Offer the consumer other options in case of
emergency:
 Call 911.
 Go to the emergency room of their local
hospital. Offer to find the location nearest
to the consumer.
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Supervisor
IF the consumer threatens to harm you, another individual,
or cause damage to a Covered CA, State, County or other
facility, Keep the caller on the telephone as long as possible.
 Write down the following:
o Date and time of the call.
o Incident Tracking ID.
o Exact words of the caller (or as close as possible).
o Gender and approximate age of the caller (for
example, if the consumer is young, middle aged or
elderly).
o Caller’s voice (calm, stressed, slow, deep, crying,
sincere, angry, rapid, excited, normal, etc.)
o Any background noises.
o Time the call ended.
 Ask the following questions to try to keep the caller on the
line.
o Where are you calling from?
o What is your address?
o What is your name and telephone number?
 Notify a Service Center Supervisor immediately (if
possible, alert a Supervisor while on the call).
 Explain the type of threat providing as much detailed
information as possible.
 Document the consumer’s information and your attempt
to assist the consumer in the CRM Incident.
 Receive information from an SCR on a threat from a
consumer.
IF there’s an obvious indication that the caller demonstrates
clear and present danger to themselves or others, follow the
steps in the “Attempt to call an emergency contact number
in the city the caller is calling from” section of this protocol.
IF the threat was made to an individual employee of a
Covered CA facility:
 Keep the caller on the line as long as possible to obtain
additional information from them.
 Place the caller on mute (do not place the consumer on
hold or transfer the call). Get the attention of another
supervisor or manager immediately to assist in calling
local law enforcement.
 Notify the CHP at the appropriate contact number per
location:
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

o Rancho Cordova – (916) 464-2090
o Sacramento – (916) 338-6710
o Contra Costa – (925) 646-4980
o Fresno – (559) 441-5441
Provide the CHP with the following information:
o The first and last name of the caller who made the
threat.
o Specific information about who/what they were
threatening to harm – name of the employee,
name and location of the facility.
o The time the call was received.
o The location they were calling from, including any
address and telephone number information
available from the CRM Contact Record,
CalHEERS or as provided by the caller.
o Actions already taken by the SCR or other staff to
resolve the issue.
Write down as much information as possible to document
the incident.
IF the threat was made to an individual County Eligibility
Worker (Medi-Cal or other County/State of California benefit
program):
 Report the threat to the appropriate County per the
County Contact List (see Appendix). The county is name
of the specific county the caller was threatening, or if the
caller did not specify, refer based on the caller’s county of
residence. If you do not know the caller’s county of
residence use the following lookup based on the caller’s
zip code: http://quickfacts.census.gov/cgi-bin/qfd/lookup
After contacting law enforcement and the call with the consumer
has ended:
 Provide guidance and reassurance to the employee who
received the threat from the consumer.
 Request counseling assistance for the employee if
needed - refer the employee to the State of California
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or provide them
with EAP contact information.
 Contact QA to request a recording of the phone call
based on the date, time and Incident Tracking Number
provided by the SCR.
 Inform Covered CA Service Center Management.
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IF the threat was made to the physical location of a Covered
CA Service Center:



Call the CHP per the telephone numbers and steps listed
in the above section of this protocol.
Call the BEC (Building Emergency Coordinator). If the
Building Emergency Coordinator is unavailable, call the
Covered California Emergency Coordinator (CCEC) –
Becky Patchen at (916)-228-8270 or Cecile P. Freeman
at (916)-228-8446.
Inform Service Center Managers, Site Liaisons and the
Service Center Deputy Director, Carene Carolan at (916)
437-5020.
IF the threat was made to the physical location of the
Covered CA Headquarters office:
 Call the CHP per the telephone numbers and steps listed
in the above section of this protocol.
 Call one of the following Covered CA Managers:
o Chief Deputy Executive Director of Operations:
Sue Johnsrud – (916) 228-8808
o Director - Eligibility and Enrollment: Thien Lam:
(916) 228-8600
If a Covered CA Manager is not available, call the
Covered California Emergency Coordinator (CCEC) –
Becky Patchen (916-228-8270) or Cecile P. Freeman
(916-228-8446).

Inform Covered CA Service Center Management.
IF the threat was made to the physical location of a County
office:
 Call the appropriate county per the County Contact List
(see Appendix). The county may be the name of a
specific county the caller was threatening, or if the county
was not specified, the caller’s county of residence. If not
known, the county of residence can be determined by the
caller’s zip code using the following directory:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/cgi-bin/qfd/lookup
 Inform Covered CA Service Center Management.
For threats against other Entity locations:
 If the location threatened is in Sacramento, East Bay
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

(Contra Costa) or Fresno areas, call the CHP per the
telephone numbers and steps listed in the above section
of this protocol.
Contact the appropriate hotline or main contact number
(for example, CEC, Insurance Agent, Certified Educators,
Enrollment Entities).
Inform Covered CA Service Center Management.
IF the threat was made to a public official or to a political
leader such as the Governor of California or the President of
the United States:
Service Center
Manager









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Inform Covered CA Service Center Management.
Receive notification from a Service Center Supervisor of a
threat made by a consumer.
Follow direction from the BEC and communicate to
Service Center Supervisors and staff as needed.
Contact U.S or State law enforcement as follows:
Threats against the President of the United States – refer
to the local Secret Service office:
o Rancho Cordova/Sacramento – (916) 325-5481
o Contra Costa – (415) 576-1210
o Fresno – (559) 487-5204
Threats against the Governor of California – refer to a
local CHP office:
o Rancho Cordova – (916) 464-2090
o Sacramento – (916) 338-6710
o Contra Costa – (925) 646-4980
o Fresno – (559) 441-5441
Contact Covered CA Legal Department to inform them of
the issue and to request guidance if needed.
Report all threats to Headquarters
o Deputy Chief Executive Director of Operations:
Yolanda Richardson –
Yolanda.richardson@covered.ca.gov
(916) 323-3601
o Or - Deputy Director - Eligibility and Enrollment:
Thien Lam – thien.lam@covered.ca.gov
(916) 323-3600
IF the threat was to an individual Covered CA employee
or if the consumer was threatening suicide, notify
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Covered CA HR in writing with details of the incident.
Covered CA
Headquarters
Management

Receive threat notifications from Service Center
Supervisors, Managers and BECs.
 Work with the CCEC to mitigate the threat risk to Covered
CA Headquarters facilities and take immediate actions.
 Inform Headquarters staff as appropriate.
Covered CA Legal
 Provide guidance to Covered CA Service Center or
Team
Headquarters Management on where to escalate or refer
threats if needed. For example – contact Federal law
enforcement such as the U.S. Secret Service or F.B.I.
Building
 Receive a call from a Covered CA Service Center
Emergency
Supervisor or Manager that there is a threat to a Service
Coordinator (BEC)
Center facility.
 Notify the CHP.
 Evaluate the threat based on Covered CA Emergency
Action Plan procedures and make a recommendation to
the senior Supervisor/manager on duty regarding whether
or not an evacuation is warranted.
 Provide direction and any emergency procedures to
Service Center staff.
 Provide follow-up communications to Service Center staff.
Covered CA
 Receive a call from a Covered CA Service Center or
Emergency
Headquarters Manager.
Coordinator
 Notify the CHP.
(CCEC)
 Evaluate the threat based on Covered CA Emergency
Action Plan procedures and make a recommendation to
the Managers regarding whether or not an evacuation is
warranted.
 Provide direction and any emergency procedures to
Headquarters staff.
 Provide follow-up communications to Headquarters staff.
Other Considerations/References to Other Procedures
References: Covered California Emergency Action Plan, Transfer Conference Call Task
Guide, U.S Secret Service Field Offices Telephone Numbers, CHP Department Offices
Telephone Numbers. Maximus Training Documentation for Crisis Calls
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Crisis Center’s Best Practices.
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Appendix
Covered California - Emergency Protocol
COUNTY
Primary
Secondary
ALAMEDA
Latrell Martin
Don Edwards
latrell.martin@acgov.org
don.edwards@acgov.org
(510) 268-2906 / (510) 381-6779 cell
(510) 645-9350 / (510) 928-7642 cell
ALPINE
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
AMADOR
James Foley
Judy Brown, Staff Services Analyst
jfoley@amadorgov.org
jbrown@amadorgov.org
(209) 223-6550
(209) 223-6550 / (209) 223-6611 direct
line
Sean Farrell
Karen Gillespie
sfarrell@buttecounty.net
kgillespie@buttecounty.nmet
(530) 538-7891
(530) 538-7891
Kathy Houle, Program Manager
khoule@co.calaveras.ca.us
Marcy Porovich, Technology Svcs.,
Analyst
mporovich@co.calaveras.ca.us
(209) 754-6851
(209) 754-6501
Leslie R. Culp, Program Director
Renea Garcia
Leslie.Culp@colusadhhs.org
renea.garcia@colusadhhs.org
(530) 458-0867 / (530) 458-0492 fax
(530) 458-0867 / (530) 458-0492 fax
Mike Roetzer
Wendy Therrian
BUTTE
CALAVERAS
COLUSA
CONTRA
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COSTA
DEL NORTE
EL DORADO
mroetzer@ehsd.cccounty.us
wtherria@ehsd.cccounty.us
(925) 765-1101 / (707) 853-5637
(925) 250-6974 / (707) 310-1656
Carmen Fong-Chavez
Dorothy Waddelow
cchavez@co.del-norte.ca.us
dwaddelow@co.del-norte.ca.us
(7047) 464-3191 ext 2600
(707) 464-3191 ext 2601
Patty Moley
Deb Stark
patty.moley@edcgov.us
stark.deb@edcgov.us
(530) 642-4806 Desk / (530) 919-3525
Cell
(530) 642-7328 Desk / (209) 304-5070
Cell
FRESNO
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
GLENN
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
HUMBOLDT
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
IMPERIAL
Charlie Cruz
Devin Anderson
charliecruz@co.imperial.ca.us
devinanderson@co.imperial.ca.us
(760) 337-7462 / (760) 604-5717 cell
(760) 337-7823 / (760) 996-3234 cell
Marilyn Mann, Social Services
Director
mmann@inyocounty.us
Anna Scott, Management Analyst
(760) 872-1394
(760) 873-3305
Adrianna Kessler
Valerie Rangel
kesslea@co.kern.ca.us
rangelv@co.kern.ca.us
INYO
KERN
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KINGS
(661) 868-8971
(661) 868-8823
Lupe Villa, Program Manager
Antoinette Gonzales, Program Manager
lupe.villa@co.kings.ca.us
antoinette.gonzales@co.kings.ca.us
(559) 852-4894
(559) 852-4280
LAKE
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
LASSEN
Deby Bush
Jennifer Uruburu
DBush@co.lassen.ca.us
JUruburu@co.lassen.ca.us
(530) 251-8154
(530) 251-8154
LOS ANGELES
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
MADERA
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
MARIN
Marty Graff
May Rodgers
mgraff@marincounty.org
mrodgers@marincounty.org
(415) 473-6733 work / (707) 395-1248
(415) 473-3562 work / (415) 690-6469 cell
Ruth Poole
Lisa Matlock
rpoole@mariposahsc.org
lmatlock@mariposahsc.org
(209) 742-0913
(209) 742-0928
MARIPOSA
MENDOCINO
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
MERCED
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
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MODOC
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
MONO
Kathryn Peterson, Director
Francis Avitia
kpeterson@mono.ca.gov
favitia@mono.ca.gov
(760) 924-1770 / (760) 924-1763
(760) 924-1770 / (760) 924-1789
Phillip Madayag
Cheryl Pirozzoli
MadayagP@co.monterey.ca.us
pirozzolic@co.monterey.ca.us
(831) 796-1584
(831) 796-1555
MONTEREY
NAPA
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
NEVADA
Mike Dent, Director
Stewart Knox, Director
mike.dent@co.nevada.ca.us
stewary.knox@co.nevada.ca.us
(530) 559-4123 cell
(530) 913-3793 cell
Pam Miller
Odon Sanchez
Pam.Miller@ssa.ocgov.com
Odon.Sanchez@ssa.ocgov.com
(714) 541-7713 / (714) 371-3955
(714) 490-4511 / (714) 389-8216
Cheryl S. Davis, Director
Susan Kimbley, Asst. Director
cdavis@placer.ca.gov
skimbley@placer.ca.gov
(530) 889-7660 / (530) 308-4082 cell
(916) 784-6106 / (530) 308-1179 cell
Neal Caiazzo, Program Manager
Suzanne Wilson
nealcaiazzo@countyofplumas.com
suzannewilson@countyofplumas.com
(530) 283-6276 / (530) 283-6368 fax
(530) 283-6441
ORANGE
PLACER
PLUMAS
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RIVERSIDE
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
SACRAMENTO
Dave Hyde, Chief
Shawn Loehr, Deputy Chief
hydeda@saccounty.net
loehrsh@saccounty.net
(916) 875-8920
(916) 875-1718
SAN BENITO
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
SAN
BERNARDINO
Cindy Willingham
June Hutchison
cwillingham@hss.sbcounty.gov
jhutchison@hss.sbcounty.gov
(909) 388-0245
(909) 388-0245
Rick Wanne, Director
Petros Alemeselassie
richard.wanne@sdcounty.ca.gov
Petros.Alemeselassie@sdcounty.ca.gov
(619) 338-2869 / (858) 229-5273 cell
(619) 337-3069
SAN DIEGO
SAN
FRANCISCO
Diana Christensen
diana.christensen@sfgov.org
(415) 503-4801
SAN JOAQUIN
SAN LUIS
OBISPO
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Christopher Woods
Anthony Rocha
cwoods@sjgov.org
arocha@sjgov.org
(209) 468-1650
(209) 468-1650
Lee Collins
Kevin Lucado
lcollins@co.slo.ca.us
klucado@co.slo.ca.us
(805) 781-1834 / (805) 440-8770 cell
(805) 781-1831
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SAN MATEO
SANTA
BARBARA
SANTA CLARA
SANTA CRUZ
SHASTA
SIERRA
Al David
Kenneth Kong
adavid@smcgov.org
kkong@smcgov.org
(650) 8025-7567 / (650) 222-0499 cell
(650) 802-6544 / (415) 341-3164 cell
Molly Marino, Operations Division
Chief
m.marino@sbcsocialserv.org
Devin Drake, MFT, Division Chief
(805) 681-4588
(805) 946-8351
Victoria Tran
Janette Anastacio
Victoria.Tran@ssa.sccgov.org
Janette.Anastacio@ssa.sccgov.org
(408) 755-7510
(408) 755-7582
Kevin Fitzgerald
Sharen Smithcamp
Kevin.Fitzgerald@santacruzcounty.us
Sharen.Smithcamp@santacruzcounty.us
(831) 454-4001
(831) 454-4037
Shannon Kelley, Program Manager
Veva Fordyce, Eligibility Supervisor
skelley@co.shasta.ca.us
vforedyce@co.shasta.ca.us
(530) 225-5519 / (530) 941-6464 cel
530) 638-8040 / (530)524-2009 cell
d.drake@sbcsocialserv.org
Interim contact: Director of CWDA
Kathy Senderling at 916-799-4471
SISKIYOU
After hours:
Kate O'Shea, Director
Terry Barber, Director
Siskiyou County
Sheriff
(530) 841-2761
koshea@co.siskiyou.ca.us
tbarber@co.siskiyou.ca.us
(530) 841-2750 / (541) 778-0438 cell
(530) 841-2761
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SOLANO
SONOMA
STANISLAUS
SUTTER
TEHAMA
TRINITY
Solano County Sheriff's dispatch
Meg Nealon
(707) 249-4388
(707) 249-4388
Kim Seamans
Francine Conner
kseamans@schsd.org
fconner@schsd.org
(707) 565-2198 / (707) 975-3659 cell
(707) 565-8773 / (707) 495-3180 cell
William Ryan, Manager III
Joshua Huebner, Manager I
ryanw@stancounty.com
HuebneJ@stancounty.com
(209) 558-2880 / (209) 652-1796 cell
(209) 558-2445 / (209) 604-2007 cell
Alma Amaya-Matta
David Nagra
aamayamatta@co.sutter.ca.us
dsnagra@co.sutter.ca.us
(877) 652-0735 / (530) 822-4411 ext
204
(877) 652-0735 / (530) 822-4411 Ext 210
Bobbi Stillwell
Laurie Nelson
bstillwell@tcdss.org
lnelson@tcdss.orgf
(530) 528-4009
(530) 528-4116
Front Desk
Jennifer Addison, Program Manager
(530) 623-8229
jaddison@trinitycounty.org
(530) 227-6468
TULARE
TUOLUMNE
VENTURA
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Danny Rockholt
Vienna Barnes
DRockhol@tularehhsa.org
VBarnes@tularehhsa.org
Rebecca Espino
Ethan Billigmeier
respino@co.tuolumne.ca.us
ebilligmeier@co.tuolumne.ca.us
(209) 533-5746
(209) 533-7370
Lauri Flack, Deputy Director
Sharon Moses, Senior Manager
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YOLO
YUBA
8-28-14
Lauri.Flack@ventura.org
Sharon.Moses@ventura.org
(805) 477-5307
(805) 477-5371 work / (805) 827-3642
Cindy Martin, Division Manager
Nolan Sullivan, Division Manager
Cindy.martin@yolocounty.org
Nolan.sullivan@yolocounty.org
(530) 661-2702 office / (530) 681-0194
(916) 375-6241 office / (530) 680-3826
cell
Jennifer Vasquez, Interim Director
Pamela Morasch, Deputy Director
jvasquez@co.yuba.ca.us
pmorasch@co.yuba.ca.us
(530) 749-6380
(530) 749-6440
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