Leadership of CARE
Chief of CARE
Dr. Amy Barden is the first Chief of Seattle's third public safety department, called CARE (Community Assisted Response & Engagement). She directs the work of Seattle 911 and the CARE community crisis responders, behavioral health specialists responding to appropriate 911 calls. Amy holds advanced degrees in ethical leadership, administration, and organizational learning, most recently completing a doctorate at Vanderbilt University where she honed skills in data science and behavioral research. She has spent twenty years in leadership at human service organizations in Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, consistently driving positive change to ensure more people are availed of services and interventions that work.
Amy has been valued for her aptitude in community-driven design, cross-team collaboration across a wide range of stakeholder groups, and demonstrated belief that every life has equal value. She is a member of the Seattle University Criminal Justice Advisory Council, the Georgetown Law Alternative Response Research Collective, and sits on the CSG Expanding First Response National Commission.
CARE Leadership Team
Deputy Chief
Deputy Chief Charlotte Joseph is an expert with 16 years in public safety, and a key member of the CARE executive team. She is responsible for overseeing the 9-1-1 Communications Center, which includes 24/7 staffing operations, training and quality assurance, standard operating procedures, system/facility support, technology functionality and advancements, and all legal requirements for 9-1-1 audio/record keeping (retention requirements and public disclosure).
Joseph has held previous 9-1-1 leadership roles since joining the City in 2008. Charlotte was a supervisor and lead trainer before promoting to Operations Manager in 2022. Joseph grew up in Des Moines, WA and has a BA in Law and Justice from Central Washington University. Throughout her career in 9-1-1, Joseph has maintained an immense appreciation for the unique roles and challenges for telecommunicators in public safety. She remains committed to maintaining high quality standards, emphasizing the importance of equality, and providing extraordinary service to the Seattle community and first responder partners.
Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff Jacob Adams is responsible for oversight of the Community Crisis Responders, public disclosure office, community outreach, and public affairs. Adams advises and gives recommendations on business operations, technology, public safety telecommunications response & coordination, and external reporting functions. He also coordinates joint command meetings with city stakeholders such as Seattle Police and Fire. Adams has worked for the City for 16 years, previously serving in various management roles for the 9-1-1 Center. He has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington. Adams looks forward to strengthening trust between the City and the Community while evolving public safety.
Director of Finance and Budget
Director of Finance and Budget Thomas Rowland is responsible for Department Accounting, Payroll, Finance, and Budget functions. Rowland previously worked in the private sector for small and large companies, ranging from food manufacturing, start-ups, retail and wholesale, construction, to the nuclear power industry. His focus is on driving cost efficiency, while supplying teams with adequate resources for operations and growth. Rowland has a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Science in Business/Accounting from the University of Phoenix. He looks forward to being a good steward of financial resources to empower the Department to better serve all stakeholders and customers.
Director of Human Resources
Director of Human Resources Jeremy Delich is responsible for collaboratively directing and coordinating human resources (HR) activities, policies and programs within the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department. Delich supports the exceptional team that hires and onboards new employees, while also developing and implementing HR related programs and policies. Delich also supports the HR team to ensure efficient daily workflows, conduct workplace investigations and collaborate with executives and senior leadership to align HR policies with the Department's strategic goals. Further, he conducts research, analyzes organizational trends and executes best practices for hiring, and talent management and retention, while strategically planning and executing HR functions, such as compensation and benefits, performance management, training and development, occupational safety, and employee retention.
Delich's professional background is in Civil Rights compliance and enforcement, employee and labor relations and all phases of the HR function. He plans on continuing the development of CARE Human Resources, to support its customers (both internal and external) and continue providing exceptional, world-class customer service.
Community Crisis Response Manager
Catriana "Cat" Hernandez is the Crisis Response Manager with the Seattle CARE Department. Cat manages the procedures, supervision, and day to day operations of CARE crisis responders. She also collaborates with the Department's broader operations team to manage her team's training, equipment, data analysis, and grant submission and reporting. Cat also engages in education and coordination with both internal and external stakeholders in public safety, the broader City structure, and the community at large.
Prior to joining the City of Seattle, Cat was a social worker for some years, beginning her work in youth and adult transitional housing as she worked through college. After earning a Master of Social Work degree, Cat moved into mental health case management, first at the County level in Northern California and then at a Community Psychiatric Clinic in Seattle. After briefly living in New Orleans, Cat returned to Seattle and looked for an area of work where she could continue to have a meaningful impact, ideally in the public sector. During this time, she was lucky enough to hear the experiences of two former 9-1-1 calltakers, who described their love for the work. Soonafter, in July 2018, Cat began working as a 9-1-1 calltaker. Excelling at her job, Cat then became a radio dispatcher in April, 2020, and finally a dispatch supervisor in July, 2023.
Having initiated a review of auxiliary services in the City and having both raised and joined various discussions on the potential for 9-1-1 dispatch to make greater use of crisis resources when appropriate, Cat was thrilled to see the advent of the Seattle CARE Department and begin serving as the first manager of the Community Crisis Response Division, shortly after the Department launched in October, 2023. Cat hopes, more than anything, to support her team of Community Crisis Responders in challenging the doubts and assumptions that exist around what is possible in emergency response, while paving the way for a new normal that better utilizes the specific expertise of each facet of public health and public safety.
Communications Officer
Communications Officer Sean Blackwell serves as the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Department. Blackwell previously worked as a researcher, Mental Health Professional (MHP), and social service administrator. He has a Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Illinois Springfield. He looks forward to advancing both the public safety and the public health objectives of the Department and the City.