Crisis Intervention Specialists Pilot Program

How can CTA compassionately engage and connect riders experiencing mental health crises, substance use challenges, and/or other vulnerabilities to supportive services and promote safe and welcoming spaces for all riders and employees?

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is facing a growing challenge as individuals with untreated mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and unstable housing increasingly use trains, rail stations, bus stops and bus facilities as de facto safe spaces. This reflects the environment shared in many public spaces across the region, and it can result in rider discomfort as well as heightened safety risks on the system for multiple parties, including the individuals in need, other riders, and frontline staff.

As a 24-hour public agency, CTA serves people in some of their most vulnerable moments. Individuals in need often shelter on board buses and trains or in station facilities, contributing to service disruptions, unsanitary conditions, and safety issues that conventional tactics like security guards, and law enforcement alone are not best equipped to respond and address. 

The complexity and sensitivity of public safety in such a setting demands thoughtful and informed approaches. The CTA conducted its first-ever Transit Community Safety Workshop in August 2025, where internal and external partners discussed the issues facing the system. Feedback received during the workshop demonstrated a strong desire from riders and local leaders for the CTA to demonstrate greater engagement and increase the visibility of safety resources, particularly on rail assets. To address this desire, CTA is proposing a pilot program for enhanced crisis intervention services. A pilot program structure will allow CTA to assess the effectiveness of the program and determine future deployment strategies.

CTA is committed to deploying the proper mix of specialized resources, and multifaceted approaches to address the full spectrum of issues present on the system. The goal is to ensure safety while promoting dignity and appropriate support for all individuals in the transit space.

Problem

CTA is looking to build on existing outreach efforts with new proactive response models for riders experiencing mental and behavioral health crises, and substance use disorders. Given the evolving and continuous set of challenges within the transit environment, CTA is in need of responsive models that augment existing security assets, which currently include contracted homeless outreach workers and security guards, K-9 teams, Chicago Police Department officers, other suburban police departments, and CTA frontline staff.  New “Safe Ride Specialist” pilot teams are needed to enhance on-system presence and visibility of support resources, while seamlessly integrating with CTA’s existing transit security ecosystem and the broader social service network to provide meaningful services for riders experiencing crisis. In higher risk situations, timely and effective intervention response can significantly reduce the potential risk and impact on riders and transit operations.

Information session

Attendee list (PDF)

Potential Pilot Zones

For the purpose of this pilot, CTA would like to focus on one or more of these pilot zones. Coverage may include early mornings, afternoons and late evenings shifts within designated pilot zones.

Proposed pilot program solutions should include

• A comprehensive approach describing how the proposed Specialist teams will identify and engage individuals in crisis and connect them to a supportive network of services including providers, treatment and housing.
• A deployment strategy based on the selected pilot zones, that describes operations in teams across the CTA system, dynamically deployed in a variety of weather conditions, hotspot locations, and hours of the day.
• A demonstrated engagement approach centered on de-escalating low-level conflicts using trauma-informed and customer-centered approaches.
• A demonstrated network ready to provide competent referrals and warm handoffs and coordinate reports during the length of the pilot.
• Ability to build relationships with CTA frontline staff and existing security assets.
• A list of team training in Motivational Interviewing, Mental Health First Aid, Crisis De-escalation, Trauma-Informed Care, Medication Administration Training (MAT), including Narcan administration, Suicide Awareness, Biohazard Safety, CPR/First Aid; including accrediting bodies and frequencies of trainings.

Proposal responders must include

• A statement of qualifications demonstrating at least 2–3 years of relevant experience working with crisis response, mental/ behavioral/social work, outreach, or public safety; experience with high-volume transit or homeless populations and individuals experiencing complex mental health issues.
• A staffing plan outlining Specialist team composition, supervision structure, certification or training credentials in trauma-informed care, de-escalation, crisis intervention, and reference to demonstrated past successful staffing efforts.
• Description of the service model for crisis intervention, including methods for engagement and approach with individuals in need and for coordination with service providers, security personnel, and CTA frontline staff.  
• Demonstrated compliance record with background checks and safety clearances for all staff.
• A detailed budget for up to 12-month pilot with fully loaded rates inclusive of staffing costs, training, communication tools and technology (e.g., cell phones, tablets, translation apps), uniforms/PPE, operations, and evaluation. The cost of transportation (for staff and clients to referral sites and places of respite) should be included in the Contractor’s fully-loaded price proposal.
• Plans for gathering data on contacts, de-escalations and any other interventions proposed by the model; and plans and proposals to evaluate key performance indicators and outcome measures, which may include reduction in incidents and improved perceptions of safety among riders and employees.
• Detail existing and prior partnerships/commitments and/or evidence (MOUs, letters of commitment etc.) with collaborating agencies involved in warm handoffs, case management, housing outreach, treatment facilities, or wraparound supportive services.
• Specialist teams with lived experience and/or strong connections to areas and network of supportive services on CTA’s rail network in proposed pilot zones; the ability to speak one or more languages (Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Chinese etc.)

Proposal Process

Innovation proposals will be evaluated in two phases. During Phase 1, proposals will be evaluated by an internal review committee for responsiveness, feasibility, and timeline. Innovators whose proposals pass the Phase 1 evaluation will be selected to move to Phase 2. During Phase 2 evaluation, Innovators will be given the opportunity to present their innovation proposal, which will be evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts from CTA. From these presentations, CTA will select one or more winning innovation proposals to proceed to pilot. Applications for the Safe Ride Specialist Pilot Program are closed.

Key Dates

• January 9, 2026, from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. CT: Problem Statement Information Session
• January 20, 2026: Questions Due (CTA will provide responses by February 2, 2026)
• February 17, 2026: Applications Due
• Week of March 16 – 20, 2026: Phase 2 Presentations from selected applicants for Crisis Intervention
• Week of March 30 – April 3, 2026: Phase 2 Presentations from selected applicants for Violence Interrupter

Q&A

Innovation Studio Safe Ride Specialists Q&A

Transit Community Safety Report