Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Crisis Response topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Raleigh updates CARES and crisis call diversion programs; mobile crisis pilot in design with Wake County
Summary
City staff reported progress on CARES programs: Acorns outreach, Care Navigation referrals, and a crisis call diversion line active since Nov. 10; a mobile crisis response pilot is being designed with Wake County and Raleigh Fire, intended to launch without a new city budget request for the pilot phase.
City staff updated the council on Raleigh’s CARES initiative—Acorns outreach, Care Navigation and the crisis call diversion (CCD) line—and outlined next steps for a mobile crisis response pilot.
Michelle Millet described the three programs comprising CARES. Acorns (Addressing Crisis through Outreach, Referrals, Networking and Service) has operated nearly five years and has engaged service providers and residents through events and outreach. Care Navigation has accepted roughly 23 referrals from Acorns, with 13 active cases and three evictions prevented to date. Staff described several success stories but said some cases remain open and long-term outcomes are still being tracked.
Millet announced the crisis call diversion line has been live and publicly noticed since Nov. 10 and has successfully diverted some calls from traditional emergency dispatch. Staff have trained ECC personnel and expanded CIT training for dispatch and police staff to support diversion. A mobile crisis response pilot is being designed in partnership with Wake County and will involve multi-departmental protocols and Fire Department support for location and dispatching.
Millet said the city plans to pilot the mobile response using existing operating budgets and Wake County partnership rather than requesting additional city dollars for the pilot phase. Staff will return with refined operational protocols, performance metrics and a public-facing dashboard that will track encounters and outcomes.
What happens next: Staff will finalize pilot design, recruit a CARES coordinator to oversee program expansion, and return with information on pilot timing and a public dashboard; council asked staff to amplify community outreach and public communications about the programs.
