The Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue has announced a new partnership with the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board and Sentara Health to create the Community Assistance Response (CARES) Team. This initiative aims to address calls involving non-violent individuals facing behavioral or mental health crises.
According to the announcement, the CARES Team will consist of a behavioral health crisis clinician from the community services board and an emergency medical responder from the fire division. The team is designed to respond specifically to 911 calls related to mental health crises, seeking to minimize police involvement in such emergencies.
“The goal is to help minimize police response and involvement in behavioral health emergencies, with a mission of reducing the risk to these individuals by de-escalating immediate stresses and connecting them with appropriate care and services,” stated officials involved in launching the program.
The pilot program will operate on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with possible expansion of hours based on operational data and feedback from the community.
This effort builds on procedures established following legislation signed by Governor Ralph Northam in 2020, known as the Marcus Alert, which focuses on emergency responses related to mental health, substance abuse, or developmental disabilities.
