Community Care expands statewide through CoResponse Collaborative
A groundbreaking crisis response model with roots at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ is entering a new phase of growth aimed at expanding access to behavioral health support across North Carolina.
Community Care, an innovative program designed to connect individuals in crisis with community-based resources through partnerships between law enforcement and behavioral health professionals, has launched a new parent organization, CoResponse Collaborative, LLC.
The new organization will provide a framework for expanding the Community Care model while offering training, implementation support, workforce development opportunities and practical tools to agencies interested in strengthening behavioral health and public safety partnerships.
The announcement comes as demand for co-response programs continues to grow across the state and follows a new partnership with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
"When Community Care began, our goal was relatively simple: to find a better way to help law enforcement connect people in need with the resources available in their communities," said Cyndy Caravelis, professor of criminology and criminal justice at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and co-founder and chief executive officer of CoResponse Collaborative. "What the program has become is largely because of our agency partners and their willingness to try something different, share what works and what doesn't, and allow us to learn alongside them."
Since its inception, Community Care has focused on improving outcomes for people experiencing mental health, substance use and other behavioral health challenges by creating stronger connections between law enforcement agencies, clinicians and community service providers.
As interest in the model has increased, program leaders recognized an opportunity to broaden its reach and help other communities implement similar approaches.
"As interest in this work has grown, we have realized that we have an opportunity to take what we have learned together and make it available to many more agencies and communities," Caravelis said. "Through this new structure and our partnership with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, we are now positioned to expand the reach of this work and make effective co-response models more accessible to communities across North Carolina."
Community Care will remain at the heart of the organization's work. The creation of CoResponse Collaborative allows the team to build on that foundation while expanding resources for agencies and behavioral health organizations seeking to develop or strengthen similar programs.
For existing Community Care partners, leaders say day-to-day operations will remain largely unchanged. Support for current programs will continue while the organization works to share successful strategies with a broader audience.
"We will continue to work alongside our partners, support their Community Care programs and learn from their experiences," Caravelis said. "What is changing is our ability to build on that work and share it more broadly."
The launch represents a significant milestone for a model that began as an effort to improve local responses to behavioral health needs and has evolved into a framework that could benefit communities across North Carolina.
"Community Care is where this work began," Caravelis said. "CoResponse Collaborative is how we take it forward."