It all starts with dialing 311 instead of 911.
Atlanta’s Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative (PAD) has launched a World Cup–focused awareness campaign to highlight its supportive services: “Make PAD Part of the Game Plan.” PAD has operated in Atlanta for years, dispatching care coordinators rather than police when callers report mental health crises, visible poverty, or related concerns. For the World Cup matches in Atlanta, PAD expanded its services specifically for the influx of visitors, as deputy director Denise White explained on Monday’s edition of “Closer Look.”
“Instead of being open Monday through Friday, we wanted to be open seven days a week, including holidays … to increase the joy and normalcy not only for our participants, but for our community members,” White said.
PAD opened its facility to the general public, offering yoga classes, mobile showers and hot meals. CookUnity provided weekend meals, and White noted that one of the most meaningful additions was a quiet room outfitted with cots so people could sleep safely, a first for PAD. The expanded programming also included film screenings and World Cup watch parties. Some of these World Cup-specific services will wind down, White said, but others will continue.
Trust is still a major factor when care coordinators are dispatched, said director of community engagement Muhammad Hafeez, and it’s not only for the potential client but also for the community.
