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The Call:Repeated 9-1-1 calls from community members concerned about a woman living outside
The Response:Over the course of several weeks, CARE was dispatched through 9-1-1 many times for wellness checks for community member Sarah (named changed for confidentiality), who was seen sleeping outside and looking unwell. After a few of these calls where she declined any services and supports, the team started conducting regular outreach efforts to better understand her needs and build a connection. In addition to responding to 9-1-1 calls, the CARE team conducts outreach to community members and provides ongoing care coordination to foster a continuum of care and support. After consistent outreach, Sarah opened up and shared that she has been living outside since COVID. As a result of her established rapport with CARE, she agreed to get a cell phone with the team’s accompaniment. Sarah also expressed a newfound openness to consider housing options available to her. The team continues to work with her towards her identified goals.
The Community Safety Department is partnering with the Cambridge Library and Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) to host a series of events for Mental Health Awareness Month in May:
Monday, May 5th (9am-5pm): Mental Health First Aid
Cambridge Public Library Main Branch
Tuesday, May 6th (6pm-8pm): Building a Caring Community Event
Cambridge Public Library Main Branch
Friday, May 9th (9am-5pm): Youth Mental Health First Aid
Mount Auburn Hospital, Waltham
This fiscal year, the Community Safety Department distributed four grants of $150,000 each to local organizations focused on violence prevention in Cambridge. One of the grantees, Cambridge HEART, was established in 2020. Their mission is to center marginalized people to build local capacity to disrupt cycles of harm by responding to crises, conducting research, and facilitating community cohesion.
HEART has been providing holistic mental health support to the Cambridge community for two years with their unique method that addresses social determinants of health.
They are proud to have a welcoming warm line open to support people in the Cambridge community. The grant funding has supported HEART's staff in being able to consistently operate the warm line to reach folks in need, who can get support from trained peer specialists. HEART was also able to hire three additional responders, which enabled them to expand their services with this grant funding.
Next, their plan is to launch their mobile crisis response in the spring of 2025.
As we continue to grow in 2025, we are looking for additional compassionate, motivated and hard working individuals to join our team. CSD values diverse life experiences and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Bilingual, bi-cultural, persons of color, LGBTQIA+ people and those with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting incredible candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply. We look forward to connecting with you!
Interested? Know someone who might be? Help us spread the word:
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