Springfield Adjusts CAHOOTS Service Hours to Meet Community’s Peak Needs

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — Beginning in July 2024, the City of Springfield is adjusting CAHOOTS service schedules to better meet the community’s peak needs, the city announced Friday.

CAHOOTS will now be available on the field from 11am to 11pm, seven days a week.

Lane County is implementing a 24/7 mobile crisis services team that will complement and expand behavioral health crisis care in the community. The initiative, which is required for all counties in the state, is expected to be piloted later this summer or fall.

Although Lane County has traditionally funded 12 hours of CAHOOTS services per day, the development of the new program has resulted in a temporary funding gap. As a result, CAHOOTS availability will be limited to the 12 hours when the community needs it most.

“By scheduling CAHOOTS services from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., the City of Springfield aims to ensure that service is available during peak demand hours,” the city said. “During hours when CAHOOTS is not available, the Springfield Police Department (SPD) will triage service requests and provide the best available response. This may include directing individuals to resources such as the 988 Crisis Line, the White Bird Crisis Line, or utilizing police intervention if necessary.”

The City of Springfield and SPD continue to value the partnership with White Bird CAHOOTS, the city said.

“The City is committed to maintaining funding for 12 hours of service per day throughout the next fiscal year, starting July 1, 2024.”

The county’s efforts are aimed at expanding the overall level of crisis response in Springfield and throughout the county.

“Until the county program (Lane County Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County) is fully operational, our access to CAHOOTS will be focused on times when it is most needed. The city is in close communication with Lane County and will provide regular updates on the progress of the new program and any changes.”