Madison Reporter

CARES or Community Alternative Response for Emergency Services is a special program in Madison that was implemented on Sept. 1 and has until now attended to 37 emergency calls, receiving approximately three 911 calls each day.

“Madison CARES will send the right person to the right call. Madison CARES will reduce trauma for patients and reduce our reliance on emergency rooms and jails, which are sometimes the most costly and least appropriate option,” Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway tweeted.

The CARES initiative redirects certain 911 calls involving non-violent mental health and substance abuse issues to a paramedic and a Journey Mental Health crisis worker rather than sending the police. CARES operates between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays. It was allocated $600,000 for 2021, but Rhodes-Conway has included continued funding for it in her 2022 budget proposal. She hopes to expand the program to cover more of Madison, as well as increase hours of availability.

The CARES program is part of Madison’s initiative to provide non-law enforcement solutions for certain emergencies, following the belief that sending in police officers can escalate certain situations. CARES aims to reduce trauma and ensure that the individuals involved are receiving the care they need, rather than simply being sent to an emergency room or a jail cell.

Journey Mental Health is a center that provides services such as counseling, support groups and a 24-hour suicide hotline.