Nora Grace-Flood File Photo
COMPASS crew member Nanette Campbell on a call.
(Updated) Social workers and supportive peers plan to continue to respond to New Haven-based 911 calls related to addiction, homelessness, and mental illness through June 2026 — now that the Board of Alders has approved a no-cost yearlong extension of the pilot contract for the city’s COMPASS crisis response team and its associated programs.
On Monday, the Board of Alders unanimously authorized the city to extend the time period of an existing pilot contract with Yale, charging them with managing the crisis response team in coordination with Continuum of Care, as well as its advisory board, inter-organizational coordination, and evaluation process.
Advocating for the extension at Monday’s alder meeting, Finance Committee Chair and Westville Alder Adam Marchand emphasized that the renewal “would not increase costs” on the city’s part for this portion of the funding, since it extends a small “surplus in the funds approved from last year for the contract.”
The pilot contract will cover about two to three percent of COMPASS’ overall budget for the next year, said COMPASS director Jack Tebes.
COMPASS first began operating as a pilot program in November 2022, in an effort to respond to 911 calls about non-violent behavior associated with addiction or mental illness without involving the criminal justice system. The team’s crisis responders typically work in pairs comprising a mental health professional and someone who can draw from personal experience with addiction or mental health challenges.
The existing pilot contract was previously slated to end on June 30, 2025. It’s now been extended to June 30, 2026, with the possibility of further extensions in the future.
The extension will not involve any additional budgeted funds from the city, according to the proposal, since the initial pilot contract’s commitment of up to $3,513,842 has not yet been reached.
“The Department of Community Resilience spoke positively about the university’s work coordinating with various partners to launch and operate this program,” Marchand said, summarizing a January Finance Committee meeting at which the renewal was reviewed.
“We are excited to continue our collaboration with the City, Continuum of Care, and the many partner organizations and community members who are making COMPASS a success,” Tebes wrote in a statement.
Since November 2022, the program has responded to 1,165 calls initially dispatched to police and fire as well as 72 calls directly dispatched to COMPASS, plus 726 interactions through unprompted outreach efforts.
This story has been updated to clarify the scope of the contract renewal.
Laura Glesby Photo
Alder Adam Marchand advocates for renewing the crisis response contract.