ADID Social Impact Safety Team (A.S.I.S.T.)
A homeless outreach initiative of the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District.
Often, homelessness is not the only thing going on in a person’s life. Homelessness is many times connected to mental illness or an issue related to substance abuse. Behaviors of a person experiencing a crisis can be unpredictable and can change drastically without warning. Our role is to attempt to de-escalate using our skills, training, and experience to identify therapeutic needs and treatment options.
For more information about A.S.I.S.T. and other ADID social impact priorities, please contact Tammy Hughes, Social Impact Director, at thughes@atlantadowntown.com or (404) 522-5010.
A.S.I.S.T. Informational Flyer
What is A.S.I.S.T.?
- Developed and will launch as a community-based pandemic related homeless outreach initiative
- Due to the service limitations hindering outreach and service providers
- Deployed as a mobile response unit to build capacity in the homeless service system on a short-term basis while community providers and their outreach teams work to resume uninterrupted service delivery to our Downtown street homeless citizens.
Why A.S.I.S.T.?
- To immediately impact Downtown business and residential communities throughout the ADID downtown corridor
- Trained and experienced behavioral health professionals
- Timely response to: non-criminal, non-emergency quality of life, business nuisance, public disturbance, substance use, or mental health concerns in Downtown Atlanta with Social Workers trained in de-escalation and crisis management with a network of connections to treatment and care facilities.
A.S.I.S.T. Roles
- 4 Social Workers
- 1 Mental Health Specialist
- 2 Safety Advocates
A.S.I.S.T. Hours of Operation
Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Calling for an A.S.I.S.T.
Beginning August 31st, between the hours of 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Monday – Friday), you may call the Ambassador Dispatch line at 404-215-9600 or speak directly to an ASIST member at 470-580-8288.
You will be asked to communicate:
- Your name, location, and call back number;
- Descriptive nature of all persons involved and urgency of the issue;
- Is this a first-time call, or a call about a repetitive issue or interaction;
- If a crime has been committed, you will be asked to hang up and contact 911;
- Expect a follow up call once the intervention has wrapped.
A.S.I.S.T. Outcomes
- Ofttimes with a person who has been on the street for an extended amount of time, the only life-skill they may have is survival.
- They ask for money or for food because they don’t know how to ask for the help they really need.
- The ASIST role is to attempt to intervene in the situation using our skills, training, and experience to identify basic human service needs, observe any therapeutic needs that may present, and connect with appropriate options.
A.S.I.S.T. Community Policing Connections
Atlanta Police Dept - Zone 5
Quality of Life Officer Wallace
Cell (678) 346-6889
Office: (404) 546-5829
jwallace@atlantaga.gov
APD Hope Team for encampments within the City of Atlanta
Direct Supervisor Sgt. Buchanan
(470)446-8272
Georgia State University Police
Joseph Spillane
Chief of Police
(404) 502-4492
jspillane@gsu.edu