In 2022, the City of Durham’s Community Safety Department (DCSD) launched its crisis response program, the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team (HEART), with the goal of connecting residents experiencing nonviolent mental health crises or quality of life concerns with the right care. HEART consists of four response units: (1) a Crisis Call Diversion program; (2) community response teams; (3) co-response teams; and (4) follow-up care navigation. The community response teams feature unarmed, skilled, and compassionate staff who serve as first responders that promote harm reduction by distributing Narcan (an opioid overdose reversal medication) and safer sex kits, carrying wound care supplies, and connecting people to community-based support and resources. Staff are also trained on ways to safely collect and dispose of needles.
Tags: Addiction Services Harm Reduction Opioid Epidemic Peer Support Programs Recovery Assistance