Raleigh will soon launch a program this summer providing resources during an emergency especially for those in a mental health crisis.
It’s called the CARES program, which stands for Crisis Alternative Response for Empathy and Support. The $2 million effort was partly funded through the COVID-19 relief package known as the American Rescue Plan. Raleigh’s Emergency Communications director Dominick Nutter said 911 operators will answer calls first, which will go through the program’s crisis call diversion line.
“As they’re taking the call and they’re listening to the caller, they would identify the callers in crisis,” he said. “They would then transfer the call, or they would hand it off to the counselor that’s inside the center.”
Nutter said after that, counselors will assess what resources are needed to help the person.
The city of Raleigh’s chief of staff Michele Mallette also works with the CARES Program. Mallette said the program was created due to an outcry from the community, after the murder of George Floyd.
“One of the things that’s critical for us is to think outside the box and to think about how we can support people that may not necessarily have traditional access and means to resources,” she said. “So, this program itself is connecting people to resources, who need it the most.”
Raleigh also currently has a program called ACORNS — Addressing Crises through Outreach, Referrals, Networking, and Service — that pairs a law enforcement officer with a social worker for certain calls. While they are two separate entities, both ACORNS and CARES will work together.
Mallette said in the spring, CARES will host monthly meetings to get feedback from the public. She added that they hope to start the entire CARES program in June.
