(The Center Square) – Seattle’s dual dispatch program is being expanded into south and southwest Seattle neighborhoods after signs of increased demand.
The Community Assisted Response and Engagement Department responders are dispatched for calls that involve people in need of behavioral health care. The department was designed to connect people in crisis with behavioral health experts and free up police resources to answer other calls.
The department features behavioral health specialists, who have prior field experience and higher education credentials in behavioral health. They operate from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
The CARE Department’s community crisis responder team is now organized into three zones: central, north and south.
Funding for the CARE Department increased from $26.5 million in 2024 to $32.8 million in 2025 and $36.5 million in 2026.
According to a press release from Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office, CARE responders have assisted community members at more thab 1,700 events since the department launched in late 2023. Nearly half of those responses happened in just the first few months of 2025.
As a result of the increased demand for the service, the city expanded the CARE Department’s coverage and is adding staff capacity.
“The CARE department has proven their ability to deliver on Seattle’s long-standing need for a public safety system with more emergency response options, and I’m excited to expand this work citywide,” Harrell said in a statement. “We will continue to invest in and expand this program in Seattle and continue to advocate for commonsense reforms to support this work at the state level.”
Last year, Harrell announced his plans to expand the city’s dual dispatch pilot program to seven days a week and hired 10 staff members.
So far this year, CARE hired 11 staff and began deploying to north Seattle neighborhoods in January and now south and southwest Seattle in March.
There are currently 24 responders and three supervisors, according to the city.
Seattle University has partnered with the CARE Department to evaluate the type of calls responders assist with and the people receiving their help. The evaluation is expected to be completed later this year.
