For years, Raleigh locals have asked for a crisis response team that operates independently of law enforcement.
The Raleigh Police Department’s ACORNS (Addressing Crises Through Outreach, Referrals, Networking, and Service) unit dispatches social workers alongside police officers to respond to certain calls related to mental health, substance use, or homelessness around the city. Since its debut in 2020, the unit has responded to thousands of calls and connected people to housing and health care resources.
Yet despite the ACORNS’ success, “the community really wanted some options that did not involve the Raleigh Police Department,” explained City of Raleigh chief of staff Michele Mallette at a recent Raleigh City Council meeting.
That’s where Raleigh CARES comes in. The name stands for “Crisis Alternative Response for Empathy and Support” and encompasses a handful of different service options for people experiencing mental and behavioral health crises, substance use issues, or homelessness. The programs under the CARES umbrella will include ACORNS, a crisis call line, a care navigation team, and a mobile crisis response unit staffed by mental health professionals.
Raleigh City Council just approved $546,114 in spending to hire three licensed clinicians to staff the crisis call line. The city has also partnered with Alliance Heath to offer a 24/7 version of the crisis line staffed by mental health professionals working remotely.
“It’s been a long time coming,” council member Jonathan Lambert-Melton said ahead of the vote last week. “I think we will now have a multitude of services to provide compassion to the community.”
The INDY asked Mallette about the different components of Raleigh CARES and when and how residents will be able to access the new services.
INDY: What is Raleigh CARES, and how is it different from the ACORNS unit?
MALLETTE: Raleigh CARES is the City of Raleigh’s alternative response program designed to provide empathetic support to community members experiencing mental or behavioral health crises, homelessness, or substance use issues. It includes program components to support individuals in different stages of a crisis. ACORNS, the City’s co-response unit, will be included as a component of Raleigh’s alternative response program. ACORNS pairs social work professionals with law enforcement to respond in person to higher-risk situations, ensuring both security and access to necessary services.
How will the crisis call diversion line work, and when will it begin operating?
911 callers experiencing a mental or behavioral health issue may now be connected with licensed clinicians through the Crisis Call Diversion line. The clinicians are trained and certified to assist in de-escalation, are more well-equipped to connect individuals to resources, and can divert responses away from traditional emergency services responses.
The Crisis Call Diversion line is expected to begin operations in June 2025.
What kind of services will the care navigation team provide? When can we expect this program to start up?
The Care Navigation team will focus on follow-up care for individuals after an initial crisis. The team will connect individuals with long-term resources, such as housing support and other social services. The goal is to ensure people receive ongoing support beyond the immediate crisis.
The Care Navigation team is expected to begin operations in June 2025.
Tell me about the mobile crisis response pilot program.
The Mobile Crisis Response pilot program is expected to be a collaboration between the City of Raleigh, Wake County, and community practitioners. This pilot will dispatch mental health professionals and peer support specialists to respond to crises in the community, providing immediate on-site support. The program will be designed to address mental and behavioral health crises in a way that prioritizes de-escalation and connection to services.
What city departments (and other partners) are working to make these different programs happen? How is the Raleigh Police Department involved?
The planning group involved in the development of Raleigh CARES involves representatives from multiple departments throughout the city. This includes the City Manager’s Office, Emergency Communications, Housing and Neighborhoods, Community Engagement, Communications, Raleigh Fire, Raleigh Police Department, Equity and Inclusion, and the City Attorney’s Office. Throughout the process of planning and development, the City has also collaborated extensively with Wake County, WakeMed, Alliance Health, community practitioners and service providers, and community members.
Raleigh Police Department is involved through both the ACORNS Unit as well as being available for referrals for higher risk cases.
How has the community responded to Raleigh CARES so far?
To prioritize community input in the process, the City’s Office of Community Engagement conducted six months of engagement, including an online survey, public listening sessions, community pop-ups, and more. Over 1,000 residents participated throughout the engagement process, expressing strong support for the development of an alternative response program in the City of Raleigh.
In addition to the initial engagement process, the City has maintained consistent contact with community partners and advocates to ensure transparency.
Anything else we should know about Raleigh’s crisis response programs?
Two of the program components of the Raleigh CARES program (Care Navigation and Crisis Call Diversion Line) are still in their pilot phase, and teams will initially operate during standard business hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday—Friday). The pilot is intended to gather feedback and data in order to evolve the program to best serve the community.
Chloe Courtney Bohl is a corps member for Report for America. Reach her at chloe@indyweek.com. Comment on this story at backtalk@indyweek.com.