Ketchikan CARES Crisis Line was developed  in partnerships with Behavioral Health Response (BHR), Residential Youth Care, Inc. (RYC), Akeela, Community Connections and, Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District (KGBSD). Ketchikan CARES is available to anyone, in the community of Ketchikan and surrounding service areas, who may be experiencing mental health or behavioral health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, bullying, abuse, suicidal ideation and, school stress. BHR has staffed the Ketchikan CARES with Master Level(s) Clinicians to provide callers with Ketchikan specific, 24/7, 365 days, emergency and immediate intervention(s), resources and, referrals to local agencies as requested by the caller. Ketchikan Cares Crisis Line went “LIVE”, the first week of April 2020.  
       
Ketchikan CARES crisis hotline includes professional support during crisis, collection of data and demographics, and referral information sent to providers in our community, through an online portal. The BHR clinicians will provide a connection to local providers for a continuation of services. BHR will make follow up phone calls, provide warm handoffs, or facilitate a reconnection with a previous provider the caller may have been in contact with. 

Ketchikan CARES partnering agencies; Akeela, Regional Clinical Director, James Harryman, Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District, School Counselor, Jonell Wallace and, Residential Youth Care, Inc., CFO-COO, Dustin Larna will manage the crisis line portal. The callers’ demographics, interventions, referrals, etc. will be tracked in this online portal. RYC and KGBSD will monitor, follow up and, makes appropriate referrals with any callers who are youth. Akeela will manage, follow up and, makes appropriate referrals with any callers who are adults.