Chicago Launches Data Dashboard to Support Crisis Program
The Chicago Department of Public Health and a number of other crisis assistance and response agencies launched a data dashboard on June 23 as part of the city’s effort to expand their Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program.
The CARE program was launched by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot last summer to embed mental health clinicians into the 911 response system.
The new data dashboard will inform decision making and the deployment of community resources for dealing with mental health emergencies. The system will include responding to immediate crises and connecting individuals to community-based resources.
The dashboard will be maintained by a CDPH epidemiologist. Each week the system will be updated with data provided from 911 multidisciplinary response teams, and later this summer the dashboard will include alternate response teams.
The data collected via the dashboard will focus on initial responses to 911 calls, outcomes and follow-ups.
CARE began as a pilot program with two response teams of CDPH mental health practitioners, community paramedics and crisis intervention officers to serve the neighborhoods of Lakeview and Uptown on the northside, and Auburn Gresham and Chatham on the southside.
In May the CARE program was expanded to four other communities — Chicago Lawn, Gage Park, West Elsdon and West Lawn. New alternate response team structures allowed Chicago Fire Department community paramedics and mental health practitioners to respond to 911 calls involving mental health crises without crisis intervention officers.
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