The Cabarrus Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Teams (H.E.A.R.T.) campaign is a community-driven initiative to decrease the number of armed police encounters with community members experiencing mental health crises.

In June 2022, H.E.A.R.T. started in Durham as a comprehensive alternative crisis response unit that ensures that individuals get the care they need without encountering an armed police officer. A substantial number of 911 calls are related to mental health emergencies and are often non-violent. 

But, a mental health emergency can quickly escalate if the responder is not adequately trained to help a person in crisis.  Alternative crisis response units, like H.E.A.R.T., connect mental health professionals, rather than armed police officers, with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis or a quality of life concern.

H.E.A.R.T. has three main functions:

Crisis Call Diversion: 

The Crisis Call Diversion program adds mental health practitioners to Durham’s 911 call center so the caller can be quickly connected to a mental health professional when they or a loved one is experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

Mental health practitioners answering calls at the 911 call center are Licensed Mental Health Clinicians.

Community Response Teams: 

Community Response Teams are unarmed three person teams dispatched as first responders to non-violent behavioral health and quality of life calls.

These teams consist of Mental health clinicians, peer support specialists, and EMTs.

Care Navigation: 

The Care Navigation program provides in person or phone-based follow-up within 48 hours after an individual meets with one of the H.E.A.R.T. responders when the individual needs additional support getting connecting to the resources and care they need.

The H.E.A.R.T. responders following up consist of Mental health clinicians and peer support specialists.

We propose to implement a H.E.A.R.T. program in Concord/Cabarrus to reduce the criminalization of mental health crises and provide an alternate to policing and hospitalization.