CHICAGO —Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Public Health announced an expansion of the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program, increasing the resources hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday.
CARE will launch a second shift beginning Oct. 5, with evening staff spending their first week familiarizing themselves with assigned service areas and community resources before beginning to respond to eligible 911 calls Oct. 12.
“Every Chicagoan deserves to be met with dignity, compassion, and professional care during a mental health crisis,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson.“Expanding CARE into the evening means more residents can be met by trained behavioral health professionals who can de-escalate a crisis, provide immediate support, and connect them to the services they need. This expansion moves us closer to the ultimate goal of providing a community safety apparatus where the right responder is available for the right situation, while building upon our commitment to providing care over criminalization and strengthening Chicago’s public mental health infrastructure.”
The launch follows the completion of hiring and training for the second shift and marks the latest expansion of CARE under the Johnson administration.
It builds on the administration’s citywide expansion of CARE in May, which made the program available to eligible residents in every Chicago community and broadened eligibility to serve more Chicagoans experiencing mental health crises and socio-emotional distress.
Since then, CARE responses to 911 calls increased by 51% from May through August compared with January through April.
“Expanding CARE into a second shift is the next step in building a behavioral health crisis response system that Chicagoans can rely on,” said Deputy Mayor Arturo Carrillo. “Since expanding CARE citywide, we have built the staffing capacity needed to reach more residents.
Extending CARE into the evening builds on that progress and moves us closer to a system where behavioral health professionals are available to response when someone needs care, while connecting residents to continued support beyond the immediate crisis.”
Administered by CDPH, CARE deploys trained behavioral health professionals and EMTs to respond to eligible 911 calls involving mental health crises and socio-emotional distress.
CARE is now fully staffed for citywide operations, with eight teams operating across the city and dedicated capacity for non-emergency CARE responses.
“Across our city, we continue to see opportunities to de-escalate crisis and deliver care to the broader Chicago that can support our city government by aligning the right care with the right expertise,” saidDr. Garth Walker, Commissioner Chicago Department of Public Health. “By sending trained mental health professionals to appropriate 911 calls, we can deâescalate crises safely, prevent rising risk among vulnerable Chicagoans, and connect residents to the care and resources they deserve.
Meeting people where they are, with compassion and clinical expertise, remains one of our top priorities at CDPH.”
Residents can request CARE when calling 911, where calls are screened to determine whether a CARE response is appropriate.
Eligible situations include non-violent, non-medical crises where there is no active threat to the individual or others.
“Expanding the CARE program into evening hours means we are strengthening our commitment to provide this life-saving public service that Chicagoans can rely on in their time of most need,” said Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, Chairwoman for the Committee on Health and Human Relations.“Our communities have made clear that they need CARE, and making the program more convenient to access helps meet that demand.”
When dispatched, a behavioral health professional and EMT can provide crisis intervention, mental health assessments, basic medical support and connections to appropriate behavioral health and social services.
When appropriate, CARE teams may also provide transportation to community-based behavioral health destinations.
The expanded hours build on the People’s Vision for Mental and Behavioral Health released by the Johnson administration, which identified expanded CARE hours as a recommendation for strengthening Chicago’s behavioral health crisis response system.
Residents experiencing or observing someone experiencing a mental health crisis can call 911 and request CARE.
If the situation is deemed eligible, a CARE response team may be dispatched. Chicago residents may also request a non-emergency clinician-only CARE response by emailingCAREprogram@CityofChicago.org, with teams responding to these requests within 24 to 72 hours.