Catch THE CARE TEAM at the Philadelphia Film Festival!

The Philadelphia Film Festival kicks off this weekend, and we are thrilled to share that THE CARE TEAM will be featured in the Filmadelphia Shorts Program. The program will screen on Monday, October 20 at 8:15 PM and Friday, October 24 at 8:30 PM. Both screenings will be at Film Society East theater at 125 S. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. You can purchase tickets here. 

Directed by Danie Harris, THE CARE TEAM follows two mobile crisis workers, DeShante and Ben, as they respond to mental health emergencies in Philadelphia. Between house visits, they discuss the experiences that led them to this work and reflect on the resources needed to take this program to the next level. 

Across Philadelphia, 21% of adults have a serious mental health diagnosis. This means that at least 1 in 5 adults in Philadelphia is at risk of experiencing a mental health crisis at any moment. Police officers cannot adequately care for people experiencing a mental health crisis. In fact, they often exacerbate crises. In the last ten years, over 2,050 people in the U.S. have been killed by police during a mental health emergency, and countless more have been abused, traumatized, and forcibly committed against their will. 

Mobile crisis teams consist of a licensed social worker, an EMT, and a certified peer specialist. They do not carry guns. They do not shout commands. They arrive in vehicles with no flashing lights. Where police officers exacerbate traumatic episodes, mobile crisis teams are trained to build trust and de-escalate.

THE CARE TEAM highlights the depth and quality of care offered by mobile crisis workers. It is a window into the suffering that members of our communities are experiencing every day. And it gives us a sense of possibility for how we might create and expand systems that offer genuine healing that recognizing the dignity and humanity of everyone they encounter. 

We hope you'll see it alongside a wonderful line-up of shorts at the Philadelphia Film Festival this weekend!