Community Alternative Response for Emergency Services (CARES), a pilot program to send paramedics and crisis workers to mental health emergencies in place of police officers, is now offered citywide, according to a release from the city of Madison. The program has nearly doubled its number of responses to nonviolent mental health calls since launching in September and the CARES teams have responded to 246 calls as of mid-March.
The program aims to decrease arrests and emergency room transits and refer people to social services instead. When a CARES team responds to a mental health crisis, staff tries to deescalate the situation, collect information on the patient’s history, find out whether they’re insured, and then refer them to services. Roughly 20% of the people CARES responds to are experiencing homelessness, 50% are uninsured, and 64% are previous patients of Journey Mental Health.
