The City of Atlanta and the Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD) are partnering to launch 311 Community Referral Services.

Beginning on Monday, January 25, residents in APD Zones 5 and 6 can call 311 regarding non-emergency areas of concern related to substance use, mental health, and/or poverty. Click here to find out if your address is in one of these eligible zones. We will add additional APD Zones over the next six months and expect to be citywide by June 2021.

The goal of 311 Community Referral Services is to address public order issues by directly engaging individuals, offering immediate resources, and providing assistance navigating social services in order to address the root cause of the concerns. This partnership advances the City of Atlanta’s commitment to public safety by investing in responses that solve quality of life challenges.

ATL311 will take constituent calls Monday through Friday, 7am to 7pm, and will dispatch PAD Harm Reduction teams or identify other appropriate social service resources. When PAD’s Harm Reduction team arrives, they will offer individuals immediate resources, transportation, and coordination of services including short-term case management and housing if needed.

PAD Harm Reduction Teams are not mobile crisis teams and do not respond to medical or mental health emergencies, but will assist with accessing these resources if the need arises when on-site. Examples of non-emergency quality of life concerns that are eligible for Community Referral Services include:

• Disturbances (such as someone yelling outside a business or blocking traffic)
• Welfare (such as someone asking for food or help)
• Mental health (such as someone who appears disoriented, erratic, or is talking to themselves)
• Basic needs (such as someone in need of shelter and sleeping outside)

For more information, visit atlantapad.org.