The city is in the process of hiring and onboarding staff for the Community Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) pilot program and anticipate launching this program with limited days and hours at the end of November. We anticipate expanding the program to seven days a week in early 2024.
Community Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) is a complementary pilot program to the Crisis Intervention Response Team. The CARE team consists of behavioral health clinicians, case managers and paramedics, who respond to 911 and the Police & Fire non-emergency line calls that do not present safety or serious medical concerns and may be more appropriate for health care and behavioral health professionals.
Program Launch
Overview
The Community Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) pilot program is part of the city’s effort to create an alternative to police response for calls that are not criminal in nature, do not present safety concerns, and may be more appropriate for health care and behavioral health professionals. CARE does not respond to calls with a report of criminal activity, threats of violence, physical disturbance, weapons, injuries, or major medical need. The CARE team complements the Crisis Intervention Response Team, which can respond to higher acuity calls than CARE.
Consisting of a behavioral health clinician, paramedic, and intensive case management, this program aims to better assist community members with complex needs.
What to Expect
Through this pilot, the city aims to:
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Help people feel supported and able to manage challenges while staying in the community.
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Increase positive health impacts for community members served by CARE and reduce future emergency services calls for those individuals through connection to ongoing community services.
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Better use police and fire resources by diverting calls that could be more appropriately served by an alternative response.
Should I reach out to CARE?
It can be tough to know what to do when someone appears to be in crisis or is demonstrating behavior that is concerning but not criminal. While there is not a perfect answer to most situations, this FAQ contains some answers to more specific, frequently asked questions about how to get help when you’re not sure what to do.
Connect with the Community Assistance Response and Engagement Team
Contact CARE about a crisis
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In an emergency call 911. In a non-emergency, call 303-441-3333.
We respond to calls involving concerns about a person’s wellbeing.
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Calls may involve concerns about anxiety, depression, thoughts or statements about suicide, substance use, minor medical issues, or a person who is experiencing a decline and not receiving appropriate care.
Hours
Specifics will be announced at the time of program launch.
Other non-police resources
Colorado Crisis Services and Mental Health Partners clinicians and support specialists are available 24/7:
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Call: 1-844-493-8255 or 988
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Text: TALK to 38255
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Visit: 3180 Airport Road in Boulder.
Contact CARE program staff
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Call 303-709-4291 for general questions about the CARE program.
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Do not call this number for crisis response.
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Because of the nature of our work, this number is not always monitored, but we return most calls within 24 hours.