RALEIGH, N.C. — The city of Raleigh is working to address the community’s need for crisis prevention and management by creating an Alternative Response Program.

In 2020 the city created a program called Addressing Crisis through Outreach, Referrals, Networking and Service (ACORNS). ACORNS works with people in crisis and directs them to available resources.

Now the city is aiming to expand the effort.

What You Need To Know

  • Alternative Response Program will incorporate community input

  • The ACORNS program is the foundation to the Alternative Response Program

  • There have been close to 1,000 participants to date

The city of Raleigh wants to keep its people and communities safe.

For years, its low-income areas have struggled with substance abuse or mental health challenges often due to the lack of resources.

To address these problems, the city created an Alternative Response Program initiative last December to expand its efforts started by the ACORNS program.

The city held several outreach opportunities to gather community feedback on what they would want to see in this program.

Sunday, the effort continued at Lincoln Park Holiness Church.

Community relations analyst Lance Shinholser and his team asked people for their input. He says their voices are what matters.

“They've really been talking about how they want people that are trained in mental health responses and that look like them,” Shinholser said.“They've really been talking about how they want people that are trained in mental health responses and that look like them,” Shinholser said.

In addition, Shinholser says residents want a program that is community-driven.

“A response that is unarmed and willing to work with the community,” Shinholser said.

To achieve that, Raleigh’s Alternative Response Program will have social workers or mental health professionals partner with police officers to respond to certain 911 calls. 

Resident Sherita McCullers says she’s in support of the program, saying if more resources were available, more lives can be saved.

“Try to get some of the people off the streets that have mental problems, and that are going through a battle with drugs. I think that would be really helpful,” McCullers said.

Shinholser says he is happy that people took their time to voice their wants for the future. He says the team will take all feedback to the city council and city managers in hopes of getting the program started officially.