The CARE 911 Program acts as a 911 diversion program for callers experiencing trauma and/or behavioral health crisis, and a referral service for first responders to connect callers to needed resources and supports while working to de-escalate and stabilize when possible. Staff who respond to callers perform a needs assessment and assess for suicidality when needed. The program began in 2023 and is fully funded by New Hanover County government. 

The program serves all New Hanover County residents who call 911 or who request CARE follow-up through their First Responder during a crisis. 

The program helps to provide an appropriate response to callera in real time, connect callers to resources, make caring connections, and provide additional support as applicable. Often, a caller just needs someone to listen and to care in the moment. Staff are also trained to provide crisis and trauma support. 

Examples of CARE calls include, but are not limited to:

• Anxeity, panic attacks, PTSD
• Suicidal
• Family disturbance
• Sexual assault
• Stress/trauma
• Homelessness
• Grief support

2023 Progress

This is a new program added to the scorecard for 2023. 

2024 Progress

Interventions Conducted: Over 2,000 interventions since inception in 2023, with a 97% resolution rate.

Frequent user of 911 crisis services over the years, almost daily.  Very angry, argumentative, felt no one listened to them.  CARE provided support daily to identify needs and arrange ongoing support, caring contacts, and addressed those needs for several consecutive days.  Since that time, the caller has not contacted 911 for a non-emergency situation. (Caller was connected to specific medical care program in NHC that was able to train caller to self-administer meds and monitor for a period so that caller would feel safe, which was the situation at the root of the caller’s concern and adverse behavior).

Caller, a veteran, reported difficulty getting into needed services through normal channels and was “ready to end it all”.  CARE was able to set up caring contacts and over several days, helped to secure resources and provide follow up to make sure services were adequate and timely. (Also provided connection to needed services across county lines for a warm handoff to services)

Caller reported being “NARCANNED” multiple times and had been motivated to seek treatment, however, the availability of a program was quite a way out and wait for an appointment was weeks, making abstinence difficult without professional support.  CARE team provided supportive calls of encouragement daily and strategies to manage substance cravings until a program with availability could be found so that caller could get in and get started in treatment. 

An elderly caller, reportedly lonely and tired of living, was contacting police and 911 frequently for non-emergency reports such as a lost remote control, a window that wouldn’t open, and other concerns, seeking anyone who could help.  CARE intervened and discovered that without connections to people and community supports, the caller felt they had few options and no one cared about them.  CARE was able to connect caller to the senior resource center, support groups, and other programs to lighten the emotional load and introduce caller to supports as well as caring contacts from CARE over time.

911 caller, a parent of a teenager was frustrated about child’s challenging behaviors.  CARE team was able to provide support, encouragement, and strategies to communicate with the child, as well as Mental Health Family therapy resources to get the help and support the family relationship needed long term and promote expedited access to care.