Crisis intervention specialists are riding CTA Green Line trains through Oak Park on weekday and Saturday evenings.
The Chicago Transit Authority's Safe Ride Specialist Program, a year-long pilot, places trained volunteers at the village's four Green Line stops: Harlem Avenue and Lake Street, Oak Park Avenue, Ridgeland Avenue and Austin Boulevard. The specialists carry Narcan and hygiene kits and are trained in de-escalation and trauma-informed care, the Wednesday Journal reported.
Two local agencies run the effort. Oak Park's Thrive Counseling Center and Maywood-based Housing Forward train and deploy the specialists to assist riders experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders and mental health crises.
The Green Line schedule runs Mondays through Fridays from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Specialists meet before and after each shift to debrief and discuss cases.
What it costs
The program's price tag differs by source. The Wednesday Journal reported $9 million. NBC Chicago, citing the CTA, put the figure at around $9.6 million, funded from previously allocated CTA budget dollars. The pilot covers the Red, Blue and Green Lines systemwide.
Nora Leerhsen, interim president of the CTA, said the increased presence of police officers and trained crisis intervention specialists across the system "is critical to our ability to continue to reduce crime and support riders in need on CTA."
On the ground
Ryan Ricks, a crisis therapist at Thrive Counseling Center, said volunteering with the program has been productive. On his first night riding the trains, Ricks said the team spoke with several people and connected one to shelter while sharing food and information about behavioral healthcare and substance use programs with others.
That matters in Oak Park. Ricks said the program has already shown where some gaps in local resources may exist.
The program responds to years of complaints from Oak Park residents and Green Line commuters about harassment, drug use on train cars and a growing number of unhoused individuals using trains for overnight shelter, the Wednesday Journal reported.
Elaine Phillips, assistant director of Crisis Services at Thrive, said the CTA partnership will help the center prioritize access to care.
The program also connects people to nearby crisis centers, shelters, mental health clinicians, peer support specialists and community violence intervention experts along the route, according to the Wednesday Journal.
Housing Forward CEO Lynda Schueler said the program aligns with the agency's mission of ending homelessness in west suburban Cook County. The agency is also collaborating with service providers at the Forest Park Blue Line station on Thursday evenings from 7 to 11 p.m.
