Raleigh's initiative to provide an alternative approach to crisis intervention has culminated in the official christening of the program as the CARES Program—Crisis Alternative Response for Empathy and Support. This title was selected to reflect the city's commitment to a compassionate and comprehensive method of addressing urgent community needs.
The CARES Program aims to rapidly transform Raleigh's approach to crisis management and prevention. With a special allocation in the 2025 budget, the city staff worked closely with community members to define four key services that alternative response models commonly constitute: co-response, crisis call diversion line, care navigation and case management, and a community response team. The intent is to create a system better suited to handle non-violent emergencies with the appropriate support and to reduce the sole reliance on traditional law enforcement.
According to the City of Raleigh announcement, these measures are designed to deploy properly trained professionals who can address crises through healthcare, social work, or mental health expertise, instead of through the criminal justice lens. This shift signifies a movement towards more empathetic civil services, hoping to better connect individuals in crisis with the resources and support they desperately need.
There's a shared sentiment that this move may also serve to substantially alleviate the pressure on local law enforcement, allowing them to concentrate primarily on crime-related calls. This reallocation of service responsibilities is expected not only to improve the effectiveness of responses to crises but also to build a stronger community fabric. Through integration of multiple avenues of support, the CARES Program is actively endeavoring to put forth the necessary resources for those facing the most challenging moments of their lives.
The City of Raleigh presents CARES as a pioneering step in reimagining public safety, focusing on prevention, compassionate intervention, and community well-being, setting a precedent that other cities might follow to address similar issues within their own communities.
