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Everett’s CARE team reports 2,000 people served in 2025; SAMHSA grant extended through 2026
Summary
City of Everett staff told the Community Health and Safety Council Committee that the CARE comprehensive behavioral health initiative, funded by a $4.5 million SAMHSA grant, has served about 2,000 unique people in 2025, supported 909 911 calls and is funded through a no-cost extension to September 2026.
Kelly, a field supervisor on Everett’s CARE team, told the Community Health and Safety Council Committee on Oct. 1 that the city’s alternative-response program has served roughly 2,000 unique individuals so far in 2025 and supported 909 911 calls.
CARE, launched after a $4,500,000 SAMHSA grant awarded in September 2024, expands social-work response to substance-use and mental-health crises, program staff said. "Care is transforming how Everett responds to crisis," Kelly said, describing the team’s role in diverting behavioral-health calls from traditional first responders and providing follow-up case management.
The CARE model traces to earlier city work. Everett first embedded social workers in police operations in 2015 through the Community Outreach and Enforcement Team (COET). The city later developed MSW internships and partnered with the University of Washington and the public library to place social-work support in other City facilities. In 2023, COVID-recovery funds allowed the city to expand social-work staffing into the library and, for the first time, into the fire department, presenters said.
Program staffing and operations: Kelly described CARE as a multidisciplinary team that, in 2025, includes five crisis responders who deploy to 911 calls, one care specialist focused on short-term care management, a prevention specialist assigned to the library, and multiple MSW interns. The team operates six days a week for approximately 10 hours per day.
Program activity and partnerships: CARE staff reported 2,000 unique people served in 2025 to date, 909 911 calls supported, 731 referrals received from police and fire partners for follow-up, and more than 1,500 referrals sent back to community providers. Kelly named partners that include the University of Washington, Evergreen Recovery, Everett Gospel Mission, Compass Health and Providence. The team also uses a Microsoft Power Apps platform adopted by city IT and a police crime analyst to track data and streamline workflows.
Funding and next steps: Presenters said the city received a no-cost extension for the SAMHSA grant, extending CARE funding through September 2026, and retains some COVID-recovery funds that staff expect could support operations into 2027. Council members asked whether opioid-response funds or other behavioral-health dollars could be used to continue the model; Kelly said the city intends to use SAMHSA funds first but is exploring regional models and additional behavioral-health funding, including opioid-related dollars, where appropriate.
Training and workforce development: Kelly said the city has participated in the University of Washington’s alternative-responder academy and is hosting MSW interns from multiple universities to build workforce capacity. "Every hour, every interaction is a chance to make a difference," Kelly said, describing the team’s focus on sustained follow-up rather than single-call responses.
The presentation closed with council members thanking staff for the briefing and asking follow-up questions about buffer zones, deployment locations and vehicle availability. Kelly said responders are signed into service from multiple locations—some assigned to fire, some to police—and that CARE has its own vehicles purchased with grant funds to allow independent responses.
