If you’re close to losing your home or struggle with your mental health, getting quickly connected to the right resources is critical. That’s why the City founded Raleigh CARES, a comprehensive response system that’s focused on helping those in a crisis. CARES stands for Crisis Alternative Response for Empathy and Support. It includes:
- 911 clinicians defusing some crises before first responders ever hit the road;
- Social workers and police officers quietly supporting residents in crisis; and
- Hands-on support helping people find a home or stay in their homes, one step at a time.
“Raleigh CARES was created to help some of the most vulnerable residents of our city,” says Michele Mallette, chief of staff.
Having various teams and programs make up Raleigh CARES ensures an across-the-board, comprehensive approach. “It allows us to fully focus on our work and use our expertise,” says Tearra Hamlett, social work supervisor.
Hamlett works at ACORNS (Addressing Crises through Outreach, Referrals, Networking, and Service), one of the programs.
ACORNS specializes in situations where behavioral health, homelessness, substance use, and other social needs intersect with public safety. Crisis Call Diversion can handle behavioral health calls before a field response is needed, while Care Navigation can provide longer-term case management, resource connection, and stabilization for homelessness concerns, says Sgt. Madeline Horner with ACORNS.
“In other words, we have more specialized partners to connect people to; allowing the right team to address the right need at the right point in the process,” she says.
Crisis Call Diversion Line
The Raleigh-Wake Emergency Communications Center (Raleigh-Wake ECC) implemented a Crisis Call Diversion Line in November 2025. It’s staffed with three licensed and experienced crisis clinicians. They are trained to de-escalate mental and behavioral health crisis.
When someone calls 911, a telecommunicator asks them a series of screening questions. That’s to determine whether a crime has been committed and whether to dispatch first responders. In addition, the call taker is assessing whether the caller is experiencing a mental health crisis and whether a mental health professional should intervene.
If that’s the case, they pass the call to one of the clinicians. The clinician provides over-the-phone support and de-escalation. They also connect the caller to needed longer-term resources, such as treatment. And they stay on the phone with the caller until first responders, if needed, show up.
The clinicians, employed by Alliance Health, are available from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday-Friday. At other times (or if all clinicians are busy), the calls are diverted to Alliance Health. The clinicians also take second-party calls, meaning if someone calls on behalf of another person, they can help.
Dominick Nutter, director of the Raleigh-Wake ECC, emphasizes the importance of real-time crisis intervention and de-escalation. “In addition, we can offer continuity of care. After the call, the counselors provide information to Alliance Health, which then follows up with the caller for additional assistance.”
Having the line reduces the need for police and EMS involvement. “In many cases, we’re now able to provide information or access to care over the phone and potentially avoid creating an even more dangerous situation,” Nutter says.
Providing help immediately and directly to those in a mental health crisis is significant. “There’s no delay,” Nutter says. “When someone in crisis calls the national 988 lifeline number, for instance, its call taker might have to contact the local 911 center and explain the situation and that can take a while. If our clinicians must dispatch first responders, they can do that immediately.”
By the end of July, the crisis call diversion line had completed more than 475 calls. The number of full-diversion calls was 83, meaning that instead of dispatching police or EMS, the clinicians were able to help over the phone. Additionally, the main Alliance phone center handled 1,005 calls for the ECC.
ACORNS
Four years before the Crisis Call Diversion Line took its first call, the City created a program that helps residents in crisis in person, ACORNS. Its social workers respond to certain calls alongside police officers. When the situation is safe, the social worker learns what the person in crisis may need. The social worker can then connect them to the correct resource.
ACORNS is a Raleigh Police Department unit. It has four officers and six social workers, along with a sergeant and a supervisor.
Officers make referrals to ACORNS partner organizations, such as Oak City Cares and the Wake County Continuum of Care. Team members also respond to referrals from residents who call 911 or contact the team directly at (919) 996-3345.
ACORNS focuses on helping Raleigh residents who are affected by:
- Substance dependency
- Mental health concerns
- Homelessness
“The majority of our calls are related to homelessness and co-morbid (medical or mental health problems that happen at the same time) conditions,” says Sgt. Horner.
ACORNS also focuses on helping veterans and others needing re-entry support after being released from prison or jail. One of the team’s more well-known successes is related to helping a homeless veteran get a home.
“We try to meet people where they are,” Hamlett says. “Also, getting help from us is up to the contact; ACORNS is voluntary. Many referrals don’t want our help and accepting that can be difficult, but we never close the door on a potential connection.”
Since its start, ACORNS has handled more than 2,500 referrals.
The team’s success is prompting other municipalities to contact ACORNS to learn how they might be able to get similar programs started.
Hamlett and Horner hope their work is increasing the community’s understanding toward those in crisis. “When you see a homeless person, for instance, I encourage you to extend grace. Please don’t assume that person did something wrong and that’s why they are homeless,” Hamlett says.
Care Navigation Team
The four-person Care Navigation Team works with community members who’ve recently lost housing or are at risk of losing housing. They step in after a person’s initial contact with a first response team, such as ACORNS. Their job is to ensure no one falls through the cracks by identifying specific needs and matching the person with available community services.
Maxx Dempsey heads up the Care Navigation team, which goes to where people are, whether it’s an encampment in the woods or the streets of Raleigh.
“Think about it. Some of these people don’t have phones or transportation, so it’s hard for them to navigate the system,” Dempsey says. “We meet them where they are, build a relationship, and then help them, whether it’s finding them a primary care doctor, helping with mental health, or finding them housing.”
It’s not unusual for Dempsey and colleagues to go to the DMV with participants to help them get necessary documents. They provide a shoulder to lean on, a steady hand to guide them, as well as resource connections.
In the last year, they’ve helped dozens of Raleigh residents. Maxx points to a veteran and his disabled wife who were living in a tent after losing their apartment. Within a matter of weeks, the Care Navigation Team found them an apartment. There was also a mother living in her car and in hotels with her two children when she was referred to the team by ACORNS. With their support, she found an apartment she could afford long-term.
“Everyone has value and some just need that extra support,” explains Dempsey. “Sometimes that support takes a little longer, but it doesn’t make the people any less valuable.”