Introduction

The ERA Documentary (Working Title) is a documentary project that will explore the growing need for non-traditional emergency response programs in America. This project is currently in production.

Background & Inspiration

Over the past several decades, there has been a growing public awareness of a variety of social issues in the United States, including untreated mental health conditions, homelessness, and drug addiction. Additionally, systemic racism continues to stand in the way of significant progress on racial equity issues. Traditional emergency response programs in America rely almost entirely on police and paramedics, but it has become increasingly clear that these options are far too limited. Police interactions often escalate to violence or result in arrest and incarceration. Interactions with paramedics/EMTs (often culminating in an ambulance ride to the hospital) can result in unaffordable medical debt, and this solution rarely leads to effective long-term care, especially in cases of individuals with mental health conditions. Other solutions are clearly needed.

Several examples of effective community-based alternative response programs have emerged over the past few decades. The CAHOOTS program, based in Eugene, OR was started in 1989 and has seen massive success over its 30+ year history. This program pairs a medic with a crisis worker to respond to 911 calls that don’t require police presence or advanced medical assistance. The program has grown significantly since its inception and now responds to around 20% of all calls for service in Eugene. Many of the calls that the team responds to involve mental health crises, homelessness, or substance abuse issues. CAHOOTS crew members try to connect individuals to long-term care or treatment if possible. They do not respond to calls that involve serious criminal activity or violent situations.

*A CRU worker talks with a community member in Olympia, WA*

Other programs have been created in cities across the U.S. based on the CAHOOTS model. The STAR program in Denver and the CRU program in Olympia, WA are two notable examples. In many other cities, plans for similar programs are being developed.

This film seeks to shine a light on the promises and opportunities of these programs by exploring the stories of individuals who have benefited from them.

Behind the Film

Nick Naculich is a Filmmaker from Denver, CO with an interest in social-impact documentary filmmaking. He holds a BA in Media Production from Emerson College, and currently works as a video producer at a Boston-based tech company.

As this project moves forward, we will bring on more crew & collaborators as needed.

Image Credits: whitebirdclinic.org, themarshallproject.org.