Trending...
- City of Tacoma Offers In-Person Workshop for Local Businesses on the Revolving Loan Fund Process
- Investigation Into North Spokane Shooting That Left Two Dead Continues
- Aries Industries Streamlines Sewer Inspection Process With Introduction of the LETS Sidewinder
Justin de Ruyter, Spokane Fire PIO, jderuyter@spokanecity.org
The Spokane Fire Department is pleased to announce the continued expansion of its Community Assistance Response Team (CARES) with the addition of a new social worker, who officially joined the team this week. This latest hire marks the final phase of a recent staffing initiative that welcomed two other social workers to the program. The expansion has been made possible through funding received from opioid lawsuit settlement dollars, reinforcing the City's commitment to addressing behavioral health and substance use challenges in the community.
Launched in 2008, CARES is the department's social response initiative to improve quality of life and reduce unnecessary EMS use by addressing social determinants of health. When EMS providers encounter individuals with needs beyond medical care, they refer them to the CARES Team. The team—usually social work students from Eastern Washington University—conducts home visits, assesses social service needs, and connects clients with community resources, advocating to ensure they receive necessary support.
More on Washingtoner
As demand for the team's services grows yearly, we are grateful for the additional staffing. With this expansion, the CARES Team will increase referrals following 911 responses to overdoses. The team will provide early intervention for individuals struggling with substance use disorders by connecting them to treatment resources and discussing harm reduction strategies. This added capacity will also allow the team to respond more frequently to requests from responding crews or provide same-day outreach, especially to unhoused individuals.
"The CARES Team plays a critical role in our efforts to help those impacted by the opioid crisis and struggling with substance use disorders," said Mayor Lisa Brown. "By expanding this team, we are increasing our case management capacity and investing in a model with proven positive results."
"We will be able to support the responding crews more and serve the most vulnerable populations in Spokane," said Sarah Foley, CARES Team Manager. "I love the work that I am doing with the CARES Team. Our team gets the opportunity to make a positive impact when people need help, and we get to work with an entire department dedicated to serving the community."
The Spokane Fire Department is pleased to announce the continued expansion of its Community Assistance Response Team (CARES) with the addition of a new social worker, who officially joined the team this week. This latest hire marks the final phase of a recent staffing initiative that welcomed two other social workers to the program. The expansion has been made possible through funding received from opioid lawsuit settlement dollars, reinforcing the City's commitment to addressing behavioral health and substance use challenges in the community.
Launched in 2008, CARES is the department's social response initiative to improve quality of life and reduce unnecessary EMS use by addressing social determinants of health. When EMS providers encounter individuals with needs beyond medical care, they refer them to the CARES Team. The team—usually social work students from Eastern Washington University—conducts home visits, assesses social service needs, and connects clients with community resources, advocating to ensure they receive necessary support.
More on Washingtoner
- Dr. Rashad Richey's Indisputable Shatters Records, Over 1 Billion YouTube Views, Top 1% Podcast, 3.2 Million Viewers Daily
- Grand Opening: New Single-Family Homes Now Open for Sale at Heritage at Manalapan
- Spokane: Presidents Day is a Parking Meter Holiday
- Shelter Structures America Announces Distribution Partnership with The DuraTrac Group
- The OpenSSL Corporation Releases Its Annual Report 2025
As demand for the team's services grows yearly, we are grateful for the additional staffing. With this expansion, the CARES Team will increase referrals following 911 responses to overdoses. The team will provide early intervention for individuals struggling with substance use disorders by connecting them to treatment resources and discussing harm reduction strategies. This added capacity will also allow the team to respond more frequently to requests from responding crews or provide same-day outreach, especially to unhoused individuals.
"The CARES Team plays a critical role in our efforts to help those impacted by the opioid crisis and struggling with substance use disorders," said Mayor Lisa Brown. "By expanding this team, we are increasing our case management capacity and investing in a model with proven positive results."
"We will be able to support the responding crews more and serve the most vulnerable populations in Spokane," said Sarah Foley, CARES Team Manager. "I love the work that I am doing with the CARES Team. Our team gets the opportunity to make a positive impact when people need help, and we get to work with an entire department dedicated to serving the community."
0 Comments
Latest on Washingtoner
- OneVizion Announces Next Phase of Growth as Brad Kitchens Joins Board of Directors
- New Children's Picture Book "Diwa of Mount Luntian" Focuses on Calm, Culture, and Connection for Today's Families
- Actor, Spokesperson Rio Rocket Featured in "Switch to AT&T" Campaign Showing How Customers Can BYOD and Keep Their Number
- The World's No.1 Superstar® Brings Disco Fever Back With New Global Single and Video "Disco Dancing"
- Boston Industrial Solutions' Natron® 512N Series UV LED Ink Achieves BPA Certification, Advancing Safe and Sustainable Digital Printing
- Joan Nissen promoted to Century Fasteners Corp. – General Manager, Aerospace & Government Sales
- Northwest Modern Fabrication Expands Manufacturing Capacity With 4,800 Sq. Ft. Addition
- NRE-HEALTH Radio Launches With a New Approach to Health Broadcasting
- City of Spokane Proposes Directing Funding to Support Families Impacted by Civil Immigration Enforcement
- From Coffee to Commutes: sMiles App Now Pays Bitcoin for Every Gift Card Purchase
- Finland's Health Authority Launches '2-4-2' Gambling Risk Limits Ahead of Expected Advertising Boom
- Evluma Launches RoadMax Edge Streetlight Series, Advancing Urban Illumination and Energy Efficiency
- Dr. Billy B. Laun II Addresses Over 120 Dental Professionals at Annual Dental Meeting
- CCHR: Taxpayer Billions Wasted on Mental Health Research as Outcomes Deteriorate
- Digital Efficiency Consulting Group (DECG) Officially Launches
- Work 365 Delivers Purpose-Built Revenue Operations for Microsoft Cloud for US Government
- Meridianvale Unveils QarvioFin Public Beta: The First 'Glass Box' AI Operating System for Autonomous Finance
- Impact Space Inc launches I AM AI Ready:Free AI Literacy Platform Bridging the Global Digital Divide
- Mend Colorado Launches Revamped Sports Performance Training Page
- Investigation Into North Spokane Shooting That Left Two Dead Continues