Chicago CARE Mental Health Hours Will Expand

Beginning October 5, 2026, the city will increase availability for non-police mental health crisis responses.

Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Mental Health

Isometric editorial illustration of a stylized urban brick building, representing expanded city health services. — Chicago will extend the operating hours of its CARE mental health response teams to 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. on weekdays beginning October 5, 2026. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Starting October 5, 2026, Chicago will extend the operating hours of its CARE mental health response teams to 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. on weekdays. The shift aims to increase public access to non-police crisis intervention services across the city.

Why it matters

The expansion follows criticism regarding service constraints and seeks to provide more consistent support for residents experiencing mental health crises. By extending hours, the city intends to reduce reliance on police for non-violent behavioral health incidents.

The CARE program will operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, a significant increase from the previous 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule. These teams are currently deployed citywide to address mental health emergencies.

The players

Chicago CARE

This is a citywide response program that pairs mental health clinicians with emergency medical technicians to manage behavioral health crises.

The details

Each CARE team consists of a licensed mental health clinician and an emergency medical technician. Residents must explicitly request these teams when calling 911, and operators screen all requests for weapons, violence, or severe injuries before dispatching.

September 2021: The CARE pilot program originally launched.
August 2025: A whistleblower reported that teams faced operational constraints.
May 2026: The CARE program was expanded to operate citywide.
October 5, 2026: Extended weekday operating hours begin.

The Big Picture

The expansion of service hours represents an update to the Chicago CARE pilot program, confirming that the initial model is moving toward citywide institutionalization.

Residents experiencing a non-violent mental health crisis can now access specialized clinician-led support during more hours of the work week. To utilize this service, callers must explicitly request a CARE team when contacting 911 dispatchers.

The takeaway

This policy change shifts the burden of mental health response away from law enforcement during more hours of the day. Residents should remember to specifically ask for CARE teams when reporting mental health emergencies to dispatch.

What happens next

The city has signaled plans to eventually offer CARE services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with additional vans and personnel currently in development.