Chicago announces citywide expansion of alternative response program

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced on May 13 that the city's Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) program, which pairs behavioral health professionals and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) for some calls once handled by police, will expand citywide. The program had been piloted in six city police districts. City officials are crediting the program for offering timely interventions and strengthening connections between residents and sources of long‐term mental health support. Under CARE, residents who observe someone in mental health crisis can call 911 and ask for the CARE team. In appropriate situations, CARE clinicians are deployed to conduct on‐site mental health assessments, offer crisis de‐escalation and brief counseling, and connect individuals to services and support. CARE teams are used only in nonviolent and nonmedical situations where there is no active threat to self or others. “The citywide expansion of the CARE program reflects our commitment to a public health and safety approach that emphasizes connecting residents to support, reduces harm and ensures people experiencing behavioral health challenges receive help from trained professionals when law enforcement intervention is not necessary, ” Johnson said. The announcement closely follows the city's move to allocate 16. 2 million for mental health services in high‐need communities, with an emphasis on care in non‐traditional settings and the introduction of a street psychiatry component (see “Care in non‐traditional settings prominent in new Chicago project, ” MHW, May 11, 2026; https: //doi. org/10. 1002/mhw. 34859).