In 2024, Dane County Human Services, in collaboration with the Madison Fire Department and Dane County Public Safety Communications, launched a grant program to expand CARES to the neighboring city of Sun Prairie.
How the GPL is Supporting:
Refining program goals and 911 call eligibility criteria for Dane County’s new Behavioral Health Call Diversion Program, which will divert calls to behavioral health professionals embedded within the 911 call center.
Helping improve data collection, monitoring, and usage of key metrics to inform operations.
Conducting an independent evaluation of the CARES program to assess performance and initial impact on relevant criminal justice and emergency systems outcomes.
We’re preparing to expand the Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES) program beyond Madison’s borders, having already responded to more than 6,000 calls in Madison alone since its launch in 2021. As we bring this service to neighboring communities, continued support from Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab will help quantify our impact and draw actionable insights from data. This will help us better serve all communities that want to bring CARES into their portfolio of 911 services, ensuring we efficiently and properly connect those experiencing behavioral health crises with the services they need.REUBEN SANON
Deputy Mayor, City of Madison
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As we prepare to launch Behavioral Health Call Diversion services in Dane County, the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab’s continued technical assistance will help us draw upon implementation lessons from other jurisdictions across the country.LUIS BIXLER
Director, Dane County Public Safety Communications
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Learn more about our work on strengthening alternative 911 emergency response.
We’re preparing to expand the Community Alternative Response Emergency Services (CARES) program beyond Madison’s borders, having already responded to more than 6,000 calls in Madison alone since its launch in 2021. As we bring this service to neighboring communities, continued support from Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab will help quantify our impact and draw actionable insights from data. This will help us better serve all communities that want to bring CARES into their portfolio of 911 services, ensuring we efficiently and properly connect those experiencing behavioral health crises with the services they need.REUBEN SANON
As we prepare to launch Behavioral Health Call Diversion services in Dane County, the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab’s continued technical assistance will help us draw upon implementation lessons from other jurisdictions across the country.LUIS BIXLER