Cahoots: Decriminalizing Mental Illness and Substance Misuse

Abstract

One of the most prominent crisis intervention programs that is spearheading transitions to non-police response models is Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets (CAHOOTS). Founded in 1989 in Eugene, Oregon, CAHOOTS is a not-for-profit, third-party organization that responds to local crises in lieu of law enforcement officers. CAHOOTS response teams consist of one unarmed medic (nurse or EMT) and one unarmed crisis worker who travel with first aid supplies to respond to crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and substance abuse. This poster provides a literature review of the CAHOOTS model to determine whether the model is a viable option for other cities to replicate. Information about the CAHOOTS model was collected through databases of scholarly literature, such as Google Scholar and the UIC Library. Additional information was collected from CAHOOTS’s databases, the Vera Institute of Justice, and The Register Guard, a Eugene newspaper. The success and faults of CAHOOTS were measured by focusing on its impact on the mentally disabled and homeless population, the economic state of Eugene, Oregon, and on jail admission rates in Eugene, Oregon. CAHOOTS reports responding to 24,000 calls in 2019 alone, with their responders responding to calls involving severe and persistent mental illness, counseling, and alcohol. However, police continue to be dispatched to crises involving non-violent and/or mentally ill individuals, with some individuals have been subject to excessive use of force. Furthermore, CAHOOTS reported connecting clients with resources such as medical services, substance abuse treatment, and homeless shelters. Further research of the social and medical services in Eugene show that many are unable to accommodate for the quantity of people requiring their services due to the COVID-19 pandemic and funding deficiencies. Research on the financial impact of CAHOOTS revealed that the model has saved taxpayers approximately $8.5 million annually in public safety costs in addition to $14 million annually in emergency department treatment costs and ambulance transport fees. The Vera Institute of Justice estimates the jail admission rate in Lane Countythe county in which CAHOOTS operates, has been on a decline since the late 1990’s and is lower than the state’s average rate of admission. The data collected demonstrates that CAHOOTS is a viable option for responding to non-violent and non-criminal emergencies, but widespread reform, policy implementation, and community development must accompany this intervention model. This could include emergency dispatch training that focuses on filtering non-criminal/non-violent calls, establishing a separate phone line for CAHOOTS, crisis intervention training for law enforcement, and substantially increased funding for community resources.