Chicago’s non-police mental health emergency response program expanded citywide, with Mayor Brandon Johnson announcing that the Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) program will now serve all 22 police districts. The program dispatches teams of mental health professionals to non-violent mental health-related 911 calls instead of law enforcement officers.
CARE launched in 2021 under a co-responder model with police officers and Fire Department paramedics accompanying behavioral health clinicians. The program transitioned entirely under the Chicago Department of Public Health in 2024, with police and fire personnel removed from response teams. The expansion now covers all 22 districts with coverage split between the North and South sides, according to Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Arturo Carrillo.
CARE teams provide on-site mental health assessments and basic medical care, then connect people to more permanent resources. However, teams do not deploy to calls involving reports of weapons or other violence. “CARE responses are limited to non-violent, non-medical situations where there is no active threat to the individual or others,” a press release stated. The program now provides services for “socio-emotional distress,” expanding beyond the initial mental health focus.
CARE clinician Gabrielle Mitchell, who worked with the program since 2021, described the scope of work. “Sometimes mental health is just helping someone get their LINK card back. Sometimes mental health is talking to a mother who feels overwhelmed and has no support,” Mitchell said at Wednesday’s press conference. Callers can request a CARE team through 911, or for non-urgent mental health response calls, Chicagoans can email CAREprogram@CityofChicago.org to request a visit within 72 hours.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/05/13/non-police-mental-health-emergency-response-program-expands-citywide/