Community Response

Our Community Response teams respond to referral requests and engage with members of the community to assess their needs - whether that’s a warm meal, clean clothes, or transportation to a shelter. Individuals with open and eligible legal cases in the City of Atlanta or Fulton County are provided with long-term case management, legal navigation, and housing support.

Check out the Atlanta Community Response and Diversion dashboard to learn about our impact in your area.

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Two PAD workers with face masks talking to an individual facing away from the camera..

Atlanta 311

WHAT IS ATL 311?

ATL311 is a hotline that provides the public access to city services and social services.

HOW DO I CALL THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TEAM?

Call 311 and select the Supportive Services option regarding issues of community concern related to behavioral health or poverty.

WHAT IS PAD’S AVAILABILITY?

Community Response Services are available citywide from 7am – 12am, Monday-Friday.

Call 311 for community response services

Direct Services & Care Navigation

DIRECT SERVICES FOR COMMUNITY REFERRED INDIVIDUALS

PAD provides direct services to referred individuals. Our services are grounded in the principles of harm reduction and housing first. The focus of our direct services is to reduce the activities that lead to police contact and address quality of life concerns in a way that honors the dignity and self-determination of the referred individual. Our direct services include:

  • Immediate Shelter & Basic Needs:  Referred individuals are offered emergency shelter, transportation and food assistance.

  • Linkage to Care:  Referred individuals are supported with care navigation, and connected to service providers for identification documents, recovery support, employment, and other services.

How Does Community Response Work?

  • 1. Community Referral

    Individuals can make a Community Referral to PAD through ATL311 for concerns that do not require police involvement.

  • 2. 311 Agent

    An ATL311 Supportive Service agent asks a series of questions and confirms that the concern is an appropriate referral for PAD.

  • 3. Refer To PAD

    ATL311’s agent sends the referral electronically to PAD’s Referral Coordination team.

  • 4. PAD Dispatch

    PAD Referral Coordinators dispatch a two-person team of Community Responders.

  • 5. Engagement

    The Community Response team engages with the referred individual to identify their needs and how PAD can best assist.

  • 6. Assessment

    Through the conversation, the team learns what needs the individual has and provides resources to meet immediate needs, such as clothing, food, or transportation.

  • 7. Connection to Services

    The Community Response team provides the individual with immediate support and information for partner agencies to receive additional support.

  • 8. Ongoing Support

    PAD Referral Coordinators connect with the partner agencies to let them know that the individual will be stopping by for services.

  • 9. Follow Up

    PAD Referral Coordinators reach out to the community member who made the referral to provide an update on how their concern was addressed.

FAQ

  • PAD responds to non-emergency quality of life concerns related to mental health, substance use or extreme poverty. This includes:

    • Disturbances (such as someone yelling outside a business or blocking traffic)

    • Public indecency (such as someone naked or bathing in a public place)

    • Welfare (such as someone asking for food or help)

    • Mental health (such as someone who appears disoriented, erratic, or is talking to themselves)

    • Substance use (such as someone using drugs in public)

    • Basic needs (such as someone in need of shelter and sleeping outside)

    • Public health (such as someone getting food from a dumpster or using the bathroom in a public place)

  • Depending on the nature of the request, a PAD Community Response team will respond to requests within 30 minutes; some requests, particularly those in frequently reported locations, may be designated as outreach requests and be addressed by the team within 72 hours. PAD will consider the urgency of the situation, the location, and team availability to prioritize requests.

  • After a referral to ATL311 is made, a two-person Community Response team will travel to the area and attempt to engage the referred individual. If they consent, we conduct an initial intake interview and begin working with them to identify their immediate needs, whether that’s a warm meal, clean clothes, or transportation to a shelter. People with open and eligible legal cases in the City of Atlanta or Fulton County are provided with long term case management, legal navigation, and housing support.

  • Community Response teams are not responsible for enforcing the law, and will not detain, coerce, or otherwise compel an individual to take specific actions. Our teams are persistent and creative, but will never transport or engage with an individual who does not consent. Instead, they will attempt to build rapport with each person and identify immediate needs and challenges, in order to support them in reducing harm to themselves and others. Learn more about our approach here.