When you need help, where do you turn? The police? The fire department? Someone else? That is the question many Phoenix residents have when dealing with a crisis. Sometimes it's not clear what is the right place to call for help, especially when the issue involves someone having a mental health crisis or dealing with substance use.
That's where the City of Phoenix Community Assistance Program (CAP) comes in.
CAP is the City's program to respond to mental and behavioral health issues that might otherwise be addressed by police or fire department personnel.
Earlier this year, the city of Phoenix worked diligently to collect feedback regarding the expansion of the Community Assistance Program. That expansion made possible after the Phoenix City Council and Mayor Kate Gallego approved $15 Million in 2021. That money dedicated to improve the response to behavior and mental health calls throughout the City of Phoenix
During this research with the community, the City Council approved the expansion of a contract with Gunn Communications Inc. (GCI) to implement a strategic outreach approach to gather public input and feedback to help shape the expansion of the CAP.
The study team attended more than 30 different community events within the City of Phoenix resulting in a total of 1,663 surveys.
The main purpose of the outreach was to collect feedback from members of the community on what they believed would be crucial in the expansion and success of CAP.
GCI, with the help of CAP and the City Manager's office, composed a 10-question survey that was made available in paper and digital format. The survey was officially launched at the February 26 Emergency Rental Assistance event and remained accessible until April 30, 2022. All surveys were made available in English and Spanish and are included in the appendix. Results from the survey can be found in this
compiled report.
