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West Asheville street engagement team reports daily outreach, 21 people into treatment so far
Summary
Christian Chambers of Safe Shelter described a five-person West Asheville street engagement team partnering with REST and treatment providers; Chambers said the team does daily outreach, weekly cleanups and has helped about 21 people enter treatment since early this year.
Christian Chambers, executive director of Safe Shelter, explained the West Asheville street engagement team’s operations and partnerships and told council the team conducts daily outreach, engages neighbors and businesses, runs drop-in hours (roughly 10 a.m.–4 p.m.) and performs weekly cleanups. He described formal partnerships and a “direct admit” process with treatment providers that allows clinicians to bring people into care quickly.
Chambers said the team has placed about 21 people into treatment since early in the year and emphasized collaboration with community paramedics, the REST team and treatment providers. Councilors asked for more operational detail (daily contact lists, numbers entering treatment vs. number contacted) and for staff to follow up with funding sources (a councilor asked whether ARPA supported the West Asheville engagement work). Chambers and other COC leaders said they will provide follow-up numbers and agreed that stronger behavioral-health capacity remains a gap.
