| What is CAHOOTS? |
CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets) is a mobile crisis intervention team that works within the public safety systems of Eugene and Springfield. This free service responds to non-criminal crises such as:
The team also provides non-emergency medical care, first aid, and transportation to services. You can reach CAHOOTS in:
All services are confidential and voluntary, staffed by White Bird Clinic. |
| What does CAHOOTS do? |
CAHOOTS offers a wide range of services, including:
CAHOOTS is designed to assist the Eugene and Springfield communities with problems related to depression, mental illness, substance abuse, poverty, and homelessness. CAHOOTS works with and defers to local police and EMS when situations escalate to the point of violence or a medical emergency. |
| When is CAHOOTS available? |
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| How does somebody reach out to CAHOOTS? |
For CAHOOTS services in Eugene, call the Eugene Police non-emergency dispatch at 541-682-5111. Once connected, press 1 until you can speak with a dispatcher and then request CAHOOTS. In Springfield, contact the non-emergency dispatch at 541-726-3714. Please note that if you report a crime in progress, violence, or a life-threatening emergency, police or emergency medical services may respond along with or instead of CAHOOTS. You are not required to provide your full name if you wish to protect your identity. You can request assistance directly if you see the CAHOOTS team in the community. However, they may ask you to place a service request if they are already responding to a call. If you prefer to speak with a crisis worker over the phone without direct contact, consider calling White Bird Clinic’s 24-hour crisis line at 541-687-4000. |
| Do services provided by CAHOOTS cost money? |
No. CAHOOTS services are offered at no cost to anyone within the city of Eugene or Springfield’s urban growth boundary. |
| Does CAHOOTS take people home? |
No. CAHOOTS is not able to transport to residences, private addresses or businesses. CAHOOTS will only provide transportation to appropriate staffed health or social services, and hospitals. |
| Does CAHOOTS schedule appointments? |
No, CAHOOTS responds to calls in the order they are received from dispatch, prioritizing assisting social services, police, and fire departments. Whenever possible, CAHOOTS will assess the urgency of each call and respond accordingly. While they strive to respond quickly, delays often occur due to high call volumes. It’s important not to expect CAHOOTS to arrive at a specific time or rely on them for immediate attention or transportation to appointments. CAHOOTS will respond as soon as they are available. |
| What is CAHOOTS’ relationship with the Eugene Police Department? |
CAHOOTS is a mobile social service, not part of law enforcement. The team is made up of crisis counselors and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) from White Bird Clinic, working under a city contract. They share a central dispatch with the police and respond to certain behavioral emergencies, like family disputes, suicidal thoughts, or public intoxication. In some cases, police may assist CAHOOTS if there’s potential danger. CAHOOTS aims to provide an alternative to police intervention for non-criminal situations related to substance abuse, poverty, or mental health crises. The staff do not carry weapons and have no authority to arrest or detain individuals. |
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