CAHOOTS In the News

The power of White Bird’s CAHOOTS program lies in its community relationships and the ability of first responders to simply ask, ‘How can I support you today?’ White Bird Clinic is proud to be a part of spreading this type of response across Oregon and the rest of the United States. Please visit our local news sources for additional information, the support of the journalists for our work, and their respect towards the community we serve has contributed to our success.

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Recent Mentions & Appearances

2022

• • Invest in Mental Health First Responders, Not New Police Hires, The Urbanist, February 28th, 2022
  • Should there be a separate 911 system for mental health crises?, GBH, February 23th, 2022
  • New co-responder programs for mental health crises offer different approaches—including whether they send police to the scene, Tone Madison, February 23rd, 2022
  • Spending Springfield’s Millions of Dollars, Eugene Weekly, February 15th, 2022
  • Trillium partners with CAHOOTS to provide funding with Medicaid money, Register Guard February 4th, 2022
  • Orlando Taylor III’s family says mental health system failed their loved one days before he was shot dead, Mass Live, January 28, 2022
  • Eugene Buffalo Bills Backers club backs more than the NFL team — it backs White Bird Clinic, Register Guard, January 10th, 2022
  • CAHOOTS: Can a groundbreaking public safety model work in Ottawa?, Ottawa Citizen, January 5th, 2022

2021

• • CAHOOTS shares its crisis intervention and de-escalation model as an online course, KLCC, December 28th, 2021
  • Alternatives to bigger jails aren’t a partisan issue, Writers On The Range, December 20th, 2021
  • Guest Opinion: Look to CAHOOTS for inspiration for nonviolent emergencies, Statesman Journal, December 17th, 2021
  • CAHOOTS launches mobile crisis response 101 course as cities across the country look to start similar programs, KGW8, December 15, 2021
  • As its popularity grows, Eugene, Ore.’s, CAHOOTS launches crisis response course, EMS 1, December 12th, 2021
  • As nation vies for its blueprint, CAHOOTS launches mobile crisis response 101 course, Register Guard, December 11th, 2021
  • Hundreds gather for Thanksgiving feast, community at Eugene Mission, Register Guard, November 25th, 2021
  • Pew survey finds 911 call centers lack proper training to deal with behavioral health crises, Kake, October 26th 2021
  • Thumbs up: In ‘CAHOOTS’ on crisis assistance, The Press Democrat, October 21, 2021
  • Addressing community justice, Arizona Jewish Post, October 20, 2021
  • National Conference on Police Social Work begins Monday in Bloomington; Protesters show up, The Bloomingtonian, October 18, 2021
  • Community weighs Mobile Crisis Response program, Cottage Grove Sentinel, October 7, 2021
  • Wisconsin program sends mental health experts to handle crises, WTVR, October 05, 2021
  • Newport Beach approves $1.2-million contract for mobile mental health response services, Daily Pilot, October 2, 2021
  • Communication and Collaboration Solutions Are Key Elements of Public Safety, State Tech, September 27, 2021
  • Oregon awarded nearly $1 million federal grant to begin CAHOOTS-like programs, Register Guard, September 20, 2021
  • First Responders Weigh Appropriate Responses to Calls for Service, State Tech Magazine, September 20, 2021
  • Rotary Club presses Wean, Makinster on plans to address homelessness, The Daily News, September 1, 2021
  • CAHOOTS crisis response program offers model for police reform in Flagstaff, Arizona Daily Sun, September 1, 2021
  • Sen. Ron Wyden promotes bill to address rise in mental health issues among children during pandemic, Register-Guard, August 31st, 2021
  • More cities adding mental health experts to 911 calls, Washington Times, August 31, 2021
  • Two new crisis response teams start in Montgomery County, Bethesda Magazine, August 30, 2021
  • Montgomery County to Host Online Conversation About Mobile Crisis Intervention Services, Montgomery County MD, August 9, 2021
  • Investing in Evidence-Based Alternatives to Policing: Civilian Crisis Response, Vera Institute of Justice, August 5th, 2021
  • ‘Unarmed response teams’ may be coming to a Massachusetts city near you, and soon, Boston.com, August 3, 2021
  • NYC’s Police-Free Mental Health Response Team Is Helping People Get Treatment, Very Well Health, July 27, 2021
  • The power of asking, ‘Is there a better way?’, Solutions Journalism, July 26, 2021
  • Eugene, Oregon, Police Chief: Sending Unarmed Crisis Specialists On Mental Health Calls Saves Lives, WBUR, July 22, 2021
  • Allentown considers ways social workers can collaborate with police, WFMZ, July 21, 2021

Want to see an effective idea spread via solutions journalism? Look at @cahoots_wbc.

-> People ask “Are there effective alternatives to police?”
-> Journalists report on what’s working and how (including limitations)
-> More communities start testinghttps://t.co/kWDZLvXG3T

— Solutions Journalism Network (@soljourno) July 31, 2021

• Half Moon Bay discusses new community policing options, Daily Journal, July 16, 2021
• Ron Wyden Talks Climate Change and Police Reform, Portland Monthly, July 15, 2021
• Durham unarmed responders won’t hit the streets until spring at the earliest, CBS 17, July 13, 2021
• Letter to the Editor: A Much-Needed Police Reform, Good Times Santa Cruz, June 30, 2021
• City Council Adopts FY22 Budget and FY21 Third Supplemental Budget, Eugene Daily News, June 29, 2021
• City Club of Eugene: What’s Being Done About Elder Abuse?, KLCC, Love Cross, June 26, 2021
• Editorial | Mobile crisis response: A strategy worth exploring, Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 20, 2021
• Editorial | Mobile crisis response: A strategy worth exploring, Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 20, 2021
• Why send a cop if one isn’t really needed? Modesto police embark on new approach, Modesto Bee, June 8, 2021
• Alternative policing proposal for ‘Heart’ unit passes City Council with hopes for fast action, Cambridge Day, June 8, 2021
• Enlisting Mental Health Workers, Not Cops, In Mobile Crisis Response, Health Affairs, June 7, 2021
• Mobile crisis response program draws national attention but still struggles with funding, Oregon Public Broadcast, June 2, 2021
• Prince Harry & Oprah Demand Group Called CAHOOTS Replace Police, Soap Opera Spy, May 29, 2021

Call mental health workers, not cops: For 30 years, CAHOOTS in Eugene, OR has modeled another way to respond to mental health crises. Now many cities are heading there. I spent time with the crisis workers of @cahoots_wbc for @Health_Affairs.https://t.co/pIsgLzxHty pic.twitter.com/PIxhQQZPN0

— Rob Waters (@robwaters001) June 8, 2021

• Enlisting Mental Health Workers, Not Cops, In Mobile Crisis Response, Health Affairs, June 7, 2021
• Mobile crisis response program draws national attention but still struggles with funding, Oregon Public Broadcast, June 2, 2021
• Prince Harry & Oprah Demand Group Called CAHOOTS Replace Police, Soap Opera Spy, May 29, 2021
• CAHOOTS asks for $1.8M of funding from Eugene’s community safety payroll tax, Register Guard, May 21, 2021
• Facing growing deficit, CAHOOTS asks city for slice of new payroll tax, KEZI 9, May 21, 2021
• A conversation with CAHOOTS coordinator Ebony Morgan about how Portland Street Response should be rolled out, Street Roots, 12 May 2021
• National Poll: Shift Law Enforcement Funds to Non-Police Emergency Response, The Appeal, April 8, 2021
• It’s working in Eugene, Olympia, Denver: More cities are sending civilian responders, not police, on mental health calls, USA TODAY, April 5, 2021
• Police are often first responders to mental health crises, but tragedies are prompting change, ABA Journal, APRIL 1, 2021
• $1 billion for CAHOOTS Act included in American Rescue Plan, NBC16.com, March 17, 2021
• CAHOOTS Act could help US cities create mobile crisis response programs, Daily Emerald, March 31, 2021
• What is trauma-informed care and how is it being implemented in Eugene, Register-Guard, March 15, 2021
• Cops and Hippies, Reasons to be Cheerful, February 26, 2021

“It’s easy for me to imagine how differently a drug-related crisis might turn out if a couple of social workers showed up as opposed to a pair of armed police officers.” –@DBtodomundo https://t.co/Wz99qvAsPe

— Reasons to be Cheerful (@RTB_Cheerful) March 8, 2021

2020

• An Alternative to Police That Police Can Get Behind, Rowan Moore Gerety. The Atlantic, December 28, 2020.
• The Idea Activists and Police Agree On, Henry Redman. Urban Milwaukee, Jul 30, 2020
• How Police Compare in Different Democracies, Amelia Cheatham and Lindsay Maizland. Council on Foreign Relations, July 30, 2020
• ‘They’re Only Going To Cause More Harm’: The Push To Remove Police From Mental Health Crisis Calls, Robert Garrova. LAist, July 29, 2020
• What Can Safety Without Police Look Like? Some Successful Programs Already Exist, April Short. LA Progressive, July 26, 2020
• This City Stopped Sending Police to Every 911 Call, Christie Thompson. The Daily Beast, July 24, 2020
• Oregon mental health response saves money and lives – without police, John Woodward. CTV News, July 17, 2020
• This city sends mental health professionals, instead of police, to some 911 calls, Chris Stewart. The Denver Channel, July 17, 2020
• Sen. Wyden visits White Bird Clinic’s CAHOOTS, drafting national policing reform, Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick. Register Guard, July 16, 2020
• Norman to hold dialogue on reallocating funds from police department, The Black Wall Street Times, July 10, 2020
• Efforts to create community crisis response teams gain momentum amid calls to ‘defund the police’, ABC7, July 10, 2020
• Calls for police reform shine spotlight on Oregon model for crisis intervention, Brenna Owen. KTW, July 9, 2020
• Peel council passes motion to reduce police involvement in mental health calls, Adam Carter. CBC News, July 9, 2020
• Seattle lawmaker proposes diverting police funds to EMS crisis team, EMS1, July 7, 2020
• CAHOOTS Program Offers Model For Police Reform, WBUR, July 6, 2020
• Nation looks for a CAHOOTS blueprint while locals want more of its services, Register-Guard, July 5, 2020
• This town of 170,000 replaced some cops with medics and mental health workers. It’s worked for over 30 years. Scottie Andrew. CNN. July 5, 2020.
• People In Crisis Need Social Workers, Not Cops, The Appeal, July 1, 2020
• How We Can All Take Responsibility to Avoid Calling the Police, Filter Mag, July 1, 2020
• Mental health emergency response service based on noted Oregon model could come to Toronto, Global News, June 30, 2020
• Black, Disabled and at Risk: The Overlooked Problem of Police Violence Against Americans with Disabilities. Abigail Abrams. Time. June 25, 2020.
• What would non-police first responders look like – The Appeal, June 24, 2020
• 4 ideas to replace traditional police officers – Vox, June 24, 2020
• When crisis workers, not traditional police, respond to calls about mental health – MPR News, June 22, 2020
• As activists call to defund the police, mental-health advocates say ‘the time is now’ to rethink public safety – MarketWatch, June 19, 2020
• Portland Street Response is funded, and its success is up to all of us – Street Roots, June 18, 2020
• 911 Services That Dispatch Mental Health Counselors, Not Cops, Gain Traction – Truthout, June 18, 2020
• The STAR Van Offers an Alternative to Police – 5280, June 17, 2020
• Portland to shift $4.8M from police budget to FD-supported response team– EMS1, June 17, 2020
• The NYPD Currently Responds To Mental Health Crisis 911 Calls. Advocates Have Another Approach – Gothamist, June 14, 2020
• Oregon City’s CAHOOTS Program Seen as Model for Alternative Policing – The Crime Report, June 22, 2020
• These Cities Are Stopping Police From Responding to Homelessness, Drug Use, and Mental Health Issues – VICE, June 17, 2020
• Approach mental health crises with care, not policing: crisis worker – CBC, June 14, 2020
• There’s Already an Alternative to Calling the Police. Anna V. Smith. Mother Jones. June 13, 2020.
• Here’s How a 911 Call Without Police Could Work – GQ Magazine, June 12, 2020
• CAHOOTS gains national attention as a non-police mental health response – CBS Austin, June 12, 2020
• As protesters call for defunding police, Northwest cities seek to reimagine law enforcement – LA Times, June 12, 2020
• There’s already an alternative to calling the police – High Country News, June 11, 2020
• ‘CAHOOTS’: How Social Workers And Police Share Responsibilities In Eugene, Oregon – NPR All Things Considered, June 10, 2020
• June 8 City Council Meeting Dominated by Criticism of EPD – Eugene Weekly, June 10, 2020
• Wolf Blitzer looks at what “Defund the Police” advocates hope to accomplish – CNN, June 9, 2020
• ‘Reallocate’ becoming rallying cry for Eugene police money – Register-Guard, June 9, 2020
• As Minneapolis Moves To Scrap Its Police Department, CAHOOTS May Become New Response Model – KLCC, June 9, 2020
• Pandemic Challenges CAHOOTS’ Resources – KLCC, June 8, 2020
• What could defunding the Police look like?– CBC / Radio Canada, June 8, 2020
• Cities Ask if It’s Time to Defund Police and ‘Reimagine’ Public Safety… – New York Times, June 5, 2020
• Tim Black (CAHOOTS) and Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Leslie Herod, Greg Casar – The Briefing, April 30, 2020
• Mobile Crisis Intervention – Brenton Gicker and Chelsea Swift – Doin’ The Work Podcast, February 3, 2020
• From CAHOOTS to Eugene Police: ‘Skills that I acquired are very applicable’ – Register-Guard, January 7, 2020

2019

I am doing a ride-along with Cahoots @WhiteBirdClinic to learn about this outstanding mental health crisis work in Eugene … I will write about this soon in my @StreetRoots column. So much to learn from them. pic.twitter.com/5qmpi4s4Gj

— Kaia Sand (@mkaiasand) February 5, 2019

• 5 Takeaways ahead of “Stop Death on the Streets of Eugene” candlelight vigil – Register-Guard, December 21, 2019
• White Bird Clinic’s Golden Anniversary Expansion – Daily Emerald, November 4, 2019
• Mobile crisis intervention team responding to mental health calls without police – CBS News, Oct 23, 2019
• Cahoots: How the unlikely pairing of cops and hippies became a national model – Register-Guard, Oct 20, 2019
• Taking police officers out of mental health-related 911 rescues – NBC News, Oct. 10, 2019
• If not jail, hospital, then what? Portland aims to dispatch better first responders for some homelessness calls – Oregonian, September 16, 2019
• CAHOOTS At 30 Pt. II: As Services Expand, Other Cities Take Note Of Its Intervention Model – KLCC, July 3, 2019
• CAHOOTS At 30 Pt. I: Crisis Response Teams ‘Assume Nothing’ – KLCC, July 2, 2019
• Calling the cops on someone with mental illness can go terribly wrong. Here’s a better idea. What if we sent mental health experts instead of police? – Vox, July 1, 2019
• Florence Police Chief Tom Turner is recommending a CAHOOTS crisis response model for their community – Siuslaw News, June 2019
• Denver Police Testing Idea Of Civilian Teams Responding To Some 911 Calls – CBS Denver, June 2019
• A new answer to 911? – KGW8 Portland, May 2019
• All about CAHOOTS – Mental Health Portland, May 2019
• Concerned about police response times, Mayor Wheeler eyes Eugene’s CAHOOTS program – KATU Portland, May 2019
• A restoration of hope continues with police assistance – Eugene Register-Guard, May 2019
• CAHOOTS Services Would Expand Under Proposed City Of Eugene Budget – April 18, 2019, KLCC National Public Radio
• Proposed Eugene budget backs CAHOOTS, early literacy, wildfire danger reduction – April 17, 2019, Register-Guard
• Portland mental health responders, an alternative to police, usually bring cops – Street Roots, May 2019
• Rethinking our first response – Street Roots, March 15-21, 2019
• Mental Health Counselors In ‘CAHOOTS’ With Local Police In Eugene, Oregon – Here and Now, March 12, 2019
• Mayor Wheeler Considers Eugene’s Model of Mental Health First Response – Portland Mercury, Jan 28, 2019

2018

• We’re glad they give a hoot – Register-Guard, December 22, 2018
• Local crisis unit in cahoots with more police agencies – Register-Guard, December 14, 2018
• Cahoots gains national attention for their work in Eugene and Springfield – KVAL, December 16, 2018
• When Mental-Health Experts, Not Police, Are the First Responders: Program in Eugene, Ore., is viewed as a model for reducing risk of violence – Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2018
• Sounding the alarm on fentanyl – Register-Guard, November 4, 2018
• 30 Years of MIH in Oregon – EMS World Expo, November 2, 2018
• CAHOOTS Extends Reach To More High Schools Starting This Fall – KLCC, July 2, 2018
• Salem should not yield to Eugene in an effort to help the homeless – Salem Statesman Journal, June 2018

2017 and earlier…

• About CAHOOTS – TASH, March 2017
• Remembering Bob Dritz, A White Bird Clinic Original – KLCC, January 2017
• CAHOOTS starts 24-hour Eugene service in January 2017 – December 2016
• Cahoots gains national attention for their work in Eugene and Springfield – December 2016
• CAHOOTS an alternative to traditional police, ambulance response – February 2016
• Healing House: The Colorful History of White Bird Clinic, Frontline, 1994