05/05/2026
We are excited to announce our first 2026 Steinberg Institute Champion: Section Chief Michael Mason!
When someone in California experiences a mental health or substance use crisis, help usually comes through a 911 call, where they get sent to an emergency department. But emergency departments aren’t always the right place for them to recover.
What people in crisis need is compassionate, appropriate care in the right setting.
As leader of the San Francisco Fire Department’s Community Paramedicine Division, Michael is helping make that possible for San Franciscans. Community paramedicine is a new approach to crisis response. Instead of defaulting to emergency departments, community paramedics connect people directly to sobering centers, crisis stabilization units, or psychiatric health facilities—settings designed to provide the right care.
As cities across California grapple with rising mental health needs and strained emergency systems, community paramedicine offers a compassionate, on-the-ground solution that reduces unnecessary ER visits and improves outcomes for people in crisis.
Through Michael’s leadership, the San Francisco Fire Department is transforming crisis response into a system grounded in care, dignity, and the belief that people deserve the right support at the right time. We are proud to name him a 2026 Steinberg Institute Champion.
Watch Michael’s powerful video and learn the impactful work being done at SFFD at the link in our bio or stories.
Each week throughout Mental Health Awareness Month we will announce a new Steinberg Institute Champion. The 2026 class is a group of exceptional Californians whose visionary leadership and tireless dedication are transforming the state’s behavioral health landscape.
