Title
Community Assistance Program (CAP) Expansion Implementation Report
Description
This report provides the Phoenix City Council with an update on the Community Assistance Program expansion efforts.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
In June 2021, the City Council approved $15 million in the Fiscal Year 2021-22 City Budget to expand the Community Assistance Program (CAP). CAP is a proven model to assist residents experiencing a traumatic event, behavioral health crisis, or other social welfare concerns. CAP is the foundation of our efforts to address the gap between traditional emergency and public safety services and the needs of the community. To meet the diverse needs of those we serve, the CAP team continues collaborating with community partners and connecting individuals with appropriate resources.
The CAP expansion has made significant progress toward achieving long-term program success and sustainability. The plan calls for increasing the number of Crisis Response Units (CRUs) to ten and Behavioral Health Units (BHUs) to nine. A multidisciplinary team of City departments has been collaborating to support this vision. Currently, six CRUs (60 percent of the target) and all nine BHUs (100 percent of the target) are operational. The newest BHUs-BH6, BH7, and BH9-were launched in June 2025. As of January 5, 2026, CRU coverage is available 24 hours a day, and BHUs continue to provide 24-hour coverage.
Following a successful request to convert vacant part-time specialist and supervisor positions into full-time Crisis Intervention Specialist roles, CAP increased its number of positions available for hire, resulting in a 21 percent vacancy rate. In 2025, CAP completed seven on-boarding classes. The 26-01 onboarding class for Crisis Intervention Specialists began on January 5, 2026.
In December 2025, there were 701 calls transferred from Police Communications to CAP Behavioral Health Dispatchers, a record-breaking number of calls transferred in a single month since the program’s inception. In CY2025, the number of calls transferred from Police Communications to CAP Behavioral Health Dispatchers increased by 128 percent compared to CY2024. In December 2025, 65% of the calls for the BHUs were generated from a transferred call from Police Communications. The remaining 35 percent of the BHUs’ calls for service were either a co-response with police/fire or the call was generated by a BHU.
In December 2025, the Behavioral Health Units (BHUs) responded to 1,075 calls for service-the highest monthly call volume on record. In CY2025, the calls for service for BHUs’ increased by 96 percent compared to CY2024. Of the 1,075 calls for service, the BHUs made contact with a customer(s) on 590 calls (55 percent). The remaining calls were either cancelled prior to arrival or the units were not able to locate the customer upon arrival on-scene. By design, BHUs were established to respond to scenes without a crime or medical emergency in lieu of police or fire. Single-unit BH response in December was 79 percent of total calls for service. In December, the average response time for a BHU was 20 minutes.
In December 2025, there were 427 calls for service for the CRUs’. In CY2025, the calls for service for CRUs’ remained consistent compared to CY2024. Of the 427 calls for service, the CRUs contacted a customer(s) on 238 calls (56 percent). The remaining calls were either cancelled prior or upon arrival. CRUs are automatically dispatched alongside police and fire to scenes involving deaths, codes or crimes to support customer(s). Single-unit CR response in December was 9 percent of total calls for service. In December, the average response time for a CRU was 21 minutes.
CAP will continue to focus on filling remaining vacant positions to bring more units into service, investing in the development and training of staff, and streamlining processes to improve community outreach and services.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Fire Department.