SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — The Spokane Fire Department has completed its expansion of a social work program that hopes to make our community safer.
The Community Assistance Response (CARES) team helps bridge the gap between emergency responders and community resources by connecting people with services after a 911 call.
Over the last few years, the team has seen more and more calls come in.
“I’ve been with the team seven years now, and we’ve seen a pretty sharp increase of referrals since I started,” said Sarah Foley, CARES Social Response Manager.
When Foley first started, she was the only full-time staff on the CARES team. Thanks to this expansion, she is joined by three other staff members and nine students.
This growth in the program hopes to enhance case management capacity, allowing the team to conduct home visits or meet clients at convenient locations.
“We are a really unique program in that we’re here to really fill in a gap in services,” Foley said.
The idea is that providing early intervention significantly benefits those struggling with substance use disorder and other crises.
“That is where our team can come in,” Foley said. “We’re really helping some of our most vulnerable populations during a scary time.”
Foley said the program will help improve safety and quality of life for everyone in Spokane County.
“Everybody benefits when everybody is well and safe, and that is what we want to do,” Foley said.
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