NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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NOTTAWASAGA - The Nottawasaga Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has officially launched a Mental Health Co-response Team to help address the mental health calls the service receives.
Working in partnership with York Support Services Network (YSSN), the team consisting of a mental health crisis worker from YSSN and an OPP constable will attend to calls for service to support dispatched officers responding to emotionally distressed persons suffering from mental health, dual diagnosis and/or addiction concerns in crisis.
Front-line patrol officers will continue to be the first responders to each "Person-In-Crisis" call. The crisis team will also be dispatched by police, at which time an assessment will be made of the appropriate course of action.
This may involve an apprehension under the mental health act or other means of support provided by the mental health worker which will then free up the other officer for other duties.
When not engaged in crisis calls, the team will engage in pro-active contact with persons known to go into crisis; the crisis worker will develop crisis management plans, provide resources and supports and follow-up with community services when needed.
"A recent 3-year review of our Co-response Team program with York Regional Police (which looked at over 1,600 mobile visits), funded by the Central Local Health Integration Network (CLHIN), demonstrated that 77 per cent of individuals in a crisis were supported on-scene and did not get transported to hospital and only 6 per cent of individuals were apprehended under the Mental Health Act," said Jean West, mental health director for YSSN.
"That's tremendously successful for the well-being of individuals in crisis, police time and costs to the healthcare system. We are very excited about the program's expansion into Nottawasaga and our partnership with the OPP."
The Mental Health Co-response Team has been active since September 2017. During this pilot project the YSSN worker has been be working directly out of the Nottawasaga OPP detachment two days a week.
In 2017 Nottawasaga OPP had received over 400 mental health calls for service. The co-response team has assisted with 41 per cent of the calls in the central LHIN area.
Nottawasaga OPP Detachment Commander, Inspector Steve Clegg believes the Nottawasaga community will benefit in many ways relating to mental health and persons in crisis.
"This collaboration will allow police to focus on safety and security while ensuring appropriate resources and support is provided to persons suffering with mental health issues. In addition it will free up police resources allowing the police to address other community needs. The OPP appreciates the efforts of our community partners at York Support Services Network and the CLHIN for funding their involvement in the program."
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