The Safety and Health Innovation Through Neighborhood Engagement (SHINE) Study
Report Publish Date: April 1, 2024
This report analyzes findings from an ongoing process evaluation of a crisis response program in Durham County, North Carolina. It is part of the Safety and Health Innovation Through Neighborhood Engagement, or SHINE, study.
Durham Community Safety Department staff said the HEART crisis response program’s open-door policy and burnout prevention were working well, and that the community had come to know and trust the program.
They called Durham’s lack of adequate social services and health care resources a challenge for crisis staff aiming to help connect community members to services. They said HEART was still figuring out exactly what its scope was and needed to find ways to better support Spanish-speaking residents.
The authors describe Durham Community Safety Department staff members' perspectives on the effectiveness and strengths and weaknesses of the HEART crisis response program.
The authors interviewed 15 people, one-on-one. They used a semi-structured, qualitative approach.
“Most participants who were HEART responders felt supported by their department through an internal culture of care, open communication, and collaboration, which enables them to better respond to neighbors in crisis.”
—Margaret Roach, Zaire Cullins, Tonia Poteat, and Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, Bellweather Collaborative for Health Justice
The interviewees’ responses highlight HEART’s strengths and opportunities for improvement, providing insights for other alternative crisis response programs.
$529,486
Awarded on: 02/22/2023
Timeframe: 2022-2026
Grant number: 80436
Location: Durham, NC
This report provides a rapid analysis of 15 interviews conducted by the SHINE Study with staff from the Durham Community Safety Department (DCSD) focusing on facilitators, barriers, and areas for improvement for the Holistic Empathetic Response Teams (HEART) program. Interviews took place between August–October 2023, prior to the city-wide expansion from the e pilot program area.
Key Facilitators
Key Challenges and Opportunities
Bellweather Collaborative for Health Justice, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, April 2024
This study and report was conducted and created by the following people:
The Safety and Health Innovation Through Neighborhood Engagement (SHINE) Study: A mixed-methods, community-engaged project investigating structural racism and health inequities in policing and public safety.
Areas for improvement for the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team program from the perspective of City Officials and Employees.
Areas for improvement for the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team (HEART) program from the perspective of first responders.
Areas for improvement for the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team program from perspectives of “response” and “referral” sites participants.
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