Boulder presents behavioral health framework; CARE crisis response logs 299 contacts in 2024

Boulder City Council received the city’s first behavioral health framework and a year‑one overview of the Community Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) program, which sends clinicians and paramedics to certain non‑violent mental health and substance use calls.

The framework: roles and priorities

Kurt Furkofer, director of Housing and Human Services, and Wendy Schwartz, who leads behavioral health work in HHS, told council the framework defines the city’s role as one of augmentation, advocacy and strategic investment rather than wholesale service delivery. "Behavioral health is an umbrella term encompassing mental health, including substance use disorder," Schwartz said as she introduced the framework.

Staff described four primary city roles: augment existing services within the city’s scope (for example, CARE and CERT); advocate with regional and state partners; sustain and strategically invest in local providers (particularly where insurance does not cover costs); and incubate and evaluate ideas aimed at filling gaps in service.

Staff emphasized priorities that are difficult for the city to solve alone but where local action can have impact: preserving safety‑net behavioral services, improving service navigation,…