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CARE department proposes doubling community crisis responders, adding 12 call-takers; committee weighs transfer of LEAD/CoLEAD contracts
Summary
Council Central Staff told the Select Budget Committee on Oct. 17 that the CARE department’s 2026 proposed budget would expand staff by roughly 25%, add 12 911 call-takers, double community crisis responders to 48 FTEs and request $2 million one‑time for vehicles and space.
At the Oct. 17 Select Budget Committee meeting, Council Central Staff briefed council members on the 2026 proposed budget for the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department and presented a policy consideration about contract administration for several crisis-intervention programs.
Tommaso Johnson of Council Central Staff summarized the proposed changes, saying the CARE department’s 2026 proposal “is slated for a fairly significant staff expansion.” The packet and presentation show a proposed ~25% increase over the 2025 adopted budget driven mainly by staff growth in two program areas: 911 call-taking and community crisis response (CCR) teams.
Key proposed changes and funding: - 12 additional 911 call takers and three trainers (about $2.6 million ongoing) to handle call volume. - Doubling the CCR body of work to 48 community crisis responders (about $4.9 million ongoing). CARE also requested $2 million one-time to upgrade vehicles and space to support the expanded teams. - Central Staff noted these expansions are proposed to be supported by public-safety sales tax revenue.
Contract-administration policy consideration: Central Staff identified a governance question about three major contracts that fund on-the-ground outreach and alternative-response services — LEAD, CoLEAD and We Deliver Care — which are administratively housed in the Human Services Department (HSD) but have seen greater operational oversight from CARE and the mayor’s public-safety team this year. Johnson said the contracts total about $16.5 million in the 2026 proposed budget.
Options Central Staff presented for the committee to consider: - Transfer the contract funding and administrative responsibility from HSD to CARE without adding staff (a financial move only). - Transfer funding and also add FTE in CARE to manage the contracts directly. - Request a statement of legislative intent and a plan from the mayor’s office and involved departments describing a transfer roadmap. - Take no change.
Why it matters: CARE’s expansion reflects council and executive interest in growing non-uniform alternative response capacity. Council members raised questions about outcomes and sustainability: Councilmember Rivera asked for outcome metrics beyond call counts, noting that CARE’s geographic expansion is recent and that more follow-up data is needed to assess effectiveness. Central Staff said the staffing expansion will support a broader citywide approach and enable additional capacity in neighborhoods with high need.
No formal decisions were taken at the briefing. Central Staff and committee members noted the need for follow-up reporting on outcomes, program coordination among HSD, CARE and community providers, and the fiscal path for sustaining ongoing staff increases.
Next steps: Central Staff offered to pursue follow-up materials requested by council members, and committee leadership indicated this topic would be part of the continuing budget and oversight cycle during the remainder of the year.
