Programs that send mental health teams in response 911 calls have proved successful in over cities — so why aren't they flourishing in Chicago?
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson touted a plan for Chicago's program during his campaign. But in an exclusive interview, a whistleblower said the mental health crews want to work — but are being held back from helping people by limited hours and red tape.
On a bridge over the Stevenson Expressway on Wednesday, a man needed help, as his leg was over a ledge as traffic flowed on the expressway near 25th Street and Michigan Avenue. Police talked him off the ledge and may have saved his life around 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The Chicago Police Department was there. CARE, the city's Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement program that tasks mental health professionals with responding to 911 calls, was not there.
"It is you, the general Chicagoan, who deserves to know what is happening with the CARE team — the program that has been lauded by the Mayor's office that has been so looked forward to for so many years and has so much potential," said a whistleblower. "It's important for you to know that that potential is not being reached."
The whistleblower, who has worked with CARE, had their identity concealed. They explained why the program championed by the Johnson administration has been failing.
"Working in a new response team that is only available from 10:30 [a.m.] to 4 [p.m.], only available Monday to Friday — that's a complicated thing to...
New York-based partner Frank A. Mazzagatti is scheduled to present at the 2025 Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys (IAHA) 43rd Annual Health Law Symposium on November 6, 2025, in Chicago, ...