Title
Community Assistance Program (CAP) Expansion Implementation Report - Citywide
Description
This report provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee 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 community's needs. To meet the diverse needs of those we serve, the CAP team continues to collaborate with community partners and connect 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, eight CRUs (80 percent of the target) and all nine BHUs (100 percent of the target) are operational. Both units are available 24 hours a day.
CAP continues to prioritize recruitment and onboarding initiatives. To date in CY2026, the program has conducted five onboarding sessions. These sessions encompassed new Crisis Intervention Specialists as well as contracted Peer Support Specialists. Additionally, CAP facilitated an onboarding session for Casework Services Aides, who serve as interns from the ASU School of Social Work. Recruitment and hiring efforts remain ongoing, and CAP has further reduced its vacancy rate to 14 percent.
In August 2026, 604 calls were transferred from Police Communications to CAP Behavioral Health Dispatchers. In CY2025, the number of calls transferred from Police Communications to CAP Behavioral Health Dispatchers increased by 128 percent compared to CY2024. In August 2026, 60 percent of the calls to the BHUs were generated by transferred calls from Police Communications. The remaining 40 percent of the BHUs’ calls for service were either co-responses with police/fire or generated by a BHU.
In August 2026, the BHUs responded to 1,011 calls for service. In CY2025, the calls for service for BHUs’ increased by 96 percent compared to CY2024. Of the 1,011 calls for service, the BHUs made contact with a customer(s) on 568 calls (56 percent). The remaining calls were either canceled prior to arrival or the units were unable 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 August was 76 percent of total calls for service. In August, the average response time for a BHU was 22 minutes.
In August 2026, there were 630 calls for service for the CRUs. In CY2025, the calls for service for CRUs remained consistent compared to CY2024. Of the 630 calls for service, the CRUs contacted a customer(s) on 366 calls (58 percent). The remaining calls were either canceled prior to or upon arrival. CRUs are automatically dispatched alongside police and fire to scenes involving deaths, codes, or crimes to support customer(s). Single-unit CRU response in August was 21 percent of total calls for service. In August, the average response time for a CRU was 22 minutes.
CAP will continue to focus on filling the remaining vacant positions to bring more units into service, investing in staff development and training, 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.