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CALL program marks milestone in city’s public safety response
CALL restructured public safety, dividing and deploying resources more effectively so police can focus on criminal matters.
Launched in 2021, the Community Assistance and Life Liaison (CALL) Program began through Gulfcoast Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) in partnership with the St. Pete Police Department (SPPD). CALL emerged amid nationwide calls for policing reform following the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Its mission: intervene on non-violent emergency calls dealing with mental health, substance abuse, behavioral issues, truancy, homelessness and neighborhood complaints.
“Following meaningful dialogue with community members and our officers in the aftermath of Mr. George Floyd’s (2020) death, it became clear that certain non-criminal calls, particularly those involving mental health crises, are often best supported by trained care professionals,” SPPD Chief Anthony Holloway told the Catalyst.
CALL restructured public safety, dividing and deploying resources more effectively so police can focus on criminal matters and CALL can focus on mental health and behavioral concerns, increasing public trust and reducing punishment, especially in vulnerable communities. “This approach reflects a shared commitment to using the right response for the right situation while ensuring the safety of both the individual and the community,” Holloway added.
To date, trained CALL social workers have intervened in nearly 20,000 non-violent 911 emergencies without incident. In approximately 95% of those responses, no police support was required. The program’s success has led to adoption in other cities like Largo and Clearwater, and other Florida regions are considering adopting the model.
Success didn’t come without challenges, however. Holloway said one of the biggest hurdles was “building confidence, both within the department and across the community, that trained civilian professionals can safely and effectively respond to appropriate calls while maintaining public safety and accountability.”
There are still persistent challenges that the individuals CALL serves face. Gulfcoast JFCS’s former Chief Operating Officer now District 6 City Council Candidate, Terri Balliet, acknowledged the harsh realities many vulnerable residents face – they need support beyond what the program can accommodate: housing, long-term treatment and sustained support.
“The hardest part is recognizing that those resources aren’t always immediately available,” Balliet recalled.
“The gaps are real. And yet, the navigators continue to show up,” she continued. “They focus on stabilizing the immediate moment, building trust and advocating for that individual within the system. It takes patience. It takes resilience. And it takes heart.”
Though no longer with Gulfcoast or CALL< Balliet hopes that the program adds more navigators and broaden coverage so every neighborhood has timely access to this response. Increased capacity means strengthening the continuum of care, improving follow-up with affected individuals and expanding opportunities for earlier intervention.
“From the very beginning – when we made sure to add the word ‘Life’ [to CALL’s acronym],” Balliet said. “The goal has been clear: to send the right response at the right time, in a way that protects dignity while strengthening public safety. That vision hasn’t changed.”
In recognition of CALL’s positive impact on the city, Mayor Kenneth Welch introduced a proclamation recognizing Feb. 2 as CALL Day. The proclamation is scheduled to go before city council Thursday.
When asked what this mayoral recognition means, Balliet responded “It means they are seen,” she said. “The navigators and licensed social professionals do quiet, emotional and often heavy work. They walk into living rooms, onto sidewalks and into moments where families are overwhelmed and individuals are struggling.”
“Recognition tells them that what they do matters … It affirms that care is not separate from safety – it is part of safety.”
Karen Smith
February 11, 2026at6:47 pm
Someone should fact check this article. It is full of misleading information. Someone should find out how many LICENSED social workers are on the streets daily, not just overseeing the program. Someone should ask why we currently have so many homeless individuals on the street in the city of St. Pete walking around in active psychosis with no intervention happening. Someone should ask Largo, Pinellas Park, Clearwater PD and PCSO how long they have had mental health counselors paired with LEO, it was long before CALL was even thought of and continues today without any alignment with CALL. While CALL is making a difference its not addressing mental health, in fact they are diverting individuals from an admission to a crisis stabilization unit that absolutely need to be on one for inability to care for self. Perhaps one of the measures of success for CALL is reducing crisis stabilization admissions when they should be assessing people and providing much needed services.
JAMES GILLESPIE
February 11, 2026at4:49 pm
Law enforcement should never be left out of this picture of non-conforming people whatever the specific condition. george floyd’s murder was awful including the fact people watched and recorded it without intervening. no lawful and orderly society i am aware of lacks law enforcment. on the other hand, society should try to return homeless, addicts, mentally disturbed to some use life style.
Mike Kosempa
February 11, 2026at3:16 pm
Meanwhile resident complaints for this problem has more than quadrupled since 2020.
Multiple incidents involving homeless have resulted in violence and subsequently otherwise taxpaying law abiding citizens ended up incarcerated because of the citys punt on homeless addicts running wild in our streets.
The city was sued by business owner for abdication of their responsibility to our community.
Lets go take a walk along the bay front and central avenue and you can show me how great the city has handled this unraveling.
Congratulations to the social workers for their contribution, but the city has completed left residents to fend for themselves, both homeless or homeowner.