Their approach is different, too. They’re taught in training to abandon the “pseudo-professional” affect that staffers inadvertently take on in talks with clients. And aside from an extensive background in medical care or mental health, all CAHOOTS employees are judged by their “lived experiences,” Brubaker said – people who’ve dealt with many of the situations CAHOOTS clients find themselves in are better able to empathize and serve those people, he said.