A pilot program in Madison that sends mental health workers to respond to crisis situations instead of police is now providing service to the whole city.
The Community Alternative Response for Emergency Services program, or CARES, began in September and has responded to more than 250 calls.
The program pairs mental health workers from Journey Mental Health with paramedics. The teams, which are dispatched from a fire station on Williamson Street, were initially only providing service to the downtown area. As of late 2021, they began operating citywide.
The goal is to deescalate situations and provide resources for people in crisis, said Madison Fire Department assistant chief of medical affairs Ché Stedman.