The CARE (Coordinated Addiction Response Effort) Team was formed in 2019 in Charleston as an initiative from Mayor Amy Goodwin to provide a specialized team to deal with issues like substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness. A five-person team makes rounds around the city to make sure people are okay. In 2022, according to the city’s data, the CARE Team made about 30 connections daily with people experiencing homelessness. WCHS TV reported that another issue they deal with is mental illness as the team responded to 380 mental health calls last year. Of those calls, 63 of them resulted in referrals to mental health treatment. The CARE Team was added to the city’s budget in 2019 and continues to seek grant funding to expand.