Launched in 2021, the Community Assistance and Life Liaison (CALL) Program began through Gulfcoast Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) in partnership with the St. Pete Police Department (SPPD). CALL emerged amid nationwide calls for policing reform following the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Its mission: intervene on non-violent emergency calls dealing with mental health, substance abuse, behavioral issues, truancy, homelessness and neighborhood complaints.<\/p>\n
\u201cFollowing meaningful dialogue with community members and our officers in the aftermath of Mr. George Floyd\u2019s (2020) death, it became clear that certain non-criminal calls, particularly those involving mental health crises, are often best supported by trained care professionals,\u201d SPPD Chief Anthony Holloway told the Catalyst.<\/p>\n
CALL restructured public safety, dividing and deploying resources more effectively so police can focus on criminal matters and CALL can focus on mental health and behavioral concerns, increasing public trust and reducing punishment, especially in vulnerable communities. \u201cThis approach reflects a shared commitment to using the right response for the right situation while ensuring the safety of both the individual and the community,\u201d Holloway added.<\/p>\n
To date, trained CALL social workers have intervened in nearly 20,000 non-violent 911 emergencies without incident. In approximately 95% of those responses, no police support was required. The program\u2019s success has led to adoption in other cities like Largo and Clearwater, and other Florida regions are considering adopting the model.<\/p>\n
Success didn\u2019t come without challenges, however. Holloway said one of the biggest hurdles was \u201cbuilding confidence, both within the department and across the community, that trained civilian professionals can safely and effectively respond to appropriate calls while maintaining public safety and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are still persistent challenges that the individuals CALL serves face. Gulfcoast JFCS\u2019s former Chief Operating Officer now District 6 City Council Candidate, Terri Balliet, acknowledged the harsh realities many vulnerable residents face \u2013 they need support beyond what the program can accommodate: housing, long-term treatment and sustained support.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hardest part is recognizing that those resources aren\u2019t always immediately available,\u201d Balliet recalled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gaps are real. And yet, the navigators continue to show up,\u201d she continued. \u201cThey focus on stabilizing the immediate moment, building trust and advocating for that individual within the system. It takes patience. It takes resilience. And it takes heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though no longer with Gulfcoast or CALL< Balliet hopes that the program adds more navigators and broaden coverage so every neighborhood has timely access to this response. Increased capacity means strengthening the continuum of care, improving follow-up with affected individuals and expanding opportunities for earlier intervention.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the very beginning \u2013 when we made sure to add the word \u2018Life\u2019 [to CALL\u2019s acronym],\u201d Balliet said. \u201cThe goal has been clear: to send the right response at the right time, in a way that protects dignity while strengthening public safety. That vision hasn\u2019t changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
In recognition of CALL\u2019s positive impact on the city, Mayor Kenneth Welch introduced a proclamation recognizing Feb. 2 as CALL Day. The proclamation is scheduled to go before city council Thursday.<\/p>\n
When asked what this mayoral recognition means, Balliet responded \u201cIt means they are seen,\u201d she said. \u201cThe navigators and licensed social professionals do quiet, emotional and often heavy work. They walk into living rooms, onto sidewalks and into moments where families are overwhelmed and individuals are struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRecognition tells them that what they do matters \u2026 It affirms that care is not separate from safety \u2013 it is part of safety.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Launched in 2021, the Community Assistance and Life Liaison (CALL) Program began through Gulfcoast Gulf Coast Jewish Family…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152206,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":{"0":"post-152205","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-st-petersburg","8":"tag-st-pete","9":"tag-st-pete-headlines","10":"tag-st-pete-news","11":"tag-st-petersburg","12":"tag-st-petersburg-headlines","13":"tag-st-petersburg-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}