SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Fire Department is one of only about 1% of fire departments in the country running a program that embeds social workers directly with paramedics and firefighters to respond to 911 calls involving a wide variety of issues, including mental health crises and drug overdoses.
The program, called the Community Health Access Team — or CHAT — has been operating for 4 years.
The goal is to meet people at their most vulnerable moments and connect them to services that can provide lasting help — not just immediate medical care…