Starting Monday, Chicago's Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement (CARE) program will broaden its operational hours to assist individuals experiencing mental health crises. The program will now operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, and will add a second shift of evening staff.
Read More
Mayor Brandon Johnson announced the expansion during a news conference at the Lawndale Mental Health Center, emphasizing the program's role in providing pathways for healing rather than criminalizing those in crisis. The city will allocate $5.2 million from the final round of federal pandemic relief funding to support this initiative. Johnson also cited future revenue from a proposed social media tax to sustain and expand the program further.
The CARE program, managed by the Chicago Department of Public Health, includes a mental health clinician and an emergency medical technician who respond to eligible 911 calls related to mental health crises and socio-emotional issues. The program is fully staffed for citywide operations with eight teams deployed across Chicago, along with two alternate teams for non-emergency calls.
Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, chair of the health and human relations committee, noted that the expansion would ease the burden on police and firefighters, who will be able to concentrate on their primary responsibilities while mental health professionals address crises. CARE teams can respond to requests via 911 dispatch or through a non-emergency email, with dispatchers also able to initiate a CARE response if the situation qualifies.
These eligible situations include non-violent, non-medical crises without an active threat to individuals or others. The new computer-aided dispatch system will enhance CARE teams' access to information, overcoming limitations of the previous system, which only provided basic address details. The new system allows for filtered, relevant information to inform responses better.
In 2026, CARE responses to 911 calls increased by 51% from May to August compared to the first four months of that year. Rodriguez Sanchez remarked on the importance of handling mental health crises with trained professionals rather than law enforcement, highlighting the program's expanded operational hours as a means to better reach Chicago's communities.