A new partnership between local government, emergency services and social services is striving to get the “right care at the right time with the right resources” for people in the throes of a mental health or addiction crisis.
Representatives from Barrie Police Service, the County of Simcoe, Simcoe County Paramedic Services, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Simcoe County branch and the City of Barrie were on hand at the Barrie-Simcoe Emergency Services Campus on Fairview Road this morning for the launch a new mobile crisis response team locally.
Officials say will make it easier and more convenient for individuals with mental health and addiction issues, or who are homeless, to get support.
The program will use health-led mobile crisis response teams to expand access to specialized addictions care in the community, avoiding unnecessary hospital emergency room visits and police involvement.
The goal is to make it easier and faster for people and families having mental health challenges to connect to the treatment, care and support they need when and where they need it.
The province will spend $2.7 million over three years to launch a new mobile crisis response team to serve Barrie and the surrounding area, said Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, who is also the province's deputy premier.
"This is one of the over 100 mobile crisis response teams our government has launched across the province,” she said. “Pairing health-care professionals with police or ambulance responders to respond to crisis situations to ensure those experiencing mental health or addictions crisis are connected to the support they need.”
This team, known as the Community Alternative Response Engagement (CARE), is expected to launch later this year, said Jones. It will operate in a partnership between Barrie police, the county, local paramedics, the CMHA and the city.
“(It) will allow community paramedicine and mental health crisis workers to work with the Barrie Police Service to deliver immediate mental health and addiction support in our community," said Jones.
The CARE team will also offer options for referral to ongoing care, transportation to treatment facilities or safe locations, and follow-up care will be provided within 72 hours of an intervention — including arranging an ambulance if a visit to an emergency department is required.
“The CARE team is one of three innovative pilot programs our government is launching that uses creativity and collaboration through mobile crisis response teams to expand access to specialized addiction care in (the) community,” she said.
It’s no secret that Barrie and surrounding areas have been facing significant addiction and mental health challenges in recent years, said Michael Tibollo, associate minister of mental health and addictions.
“Today’s announcement is about demonstrating that, as a government, we are taking these challenges seriously and putting our money where our mouth is," he said. "We know people struggling with mental health and addiction have a better outcome when treated close to home. We have evidence that supports this and know that this is what needs to be done.
“We also know that a critical part of getting someone the help they need is earning their trust and that process begins with how we interact with those individuals, particularly if they’re in crisis," Tibollo added.
Low-barrier access is important in building that trust, he said.
“In Ontario as a province, and working with our municipal governments, we have all agreed that specialized crisis response teams that include first-responders in health care and mental health-care workers, are the way forward,” Tibollo said.
“It’s rare in politics and government to find everyone working together and agreeing on a course to follow and in this case I am extremely proud of the fact that so many community organizations, so many people that are delivering supports and services, understand and see the importance of collaboration and building these systems of care in the community," he added.
Police tend to see people during the worst experiences of their lives, said Chief Rich Johnston, adding Wednesday’s announcement helps to highlight the importance of all the agencies working together to support residents, especially those dealing with a mental health and addiction crisis.
“We want to ensure those individuals in crisis receive the most effective and efficient response," the police chief said. "However, we also know that often the presence of a police officer, despite their genuine desire to help, may escalate an already difficult situation.
"Our data shows that many of the highest (users) for police services are low-harm individuals with intersection challenges of homelessness, addiction and mental illness,” Johnston added. “In providing non-police, specialized medical response for these types of calls for service, the CARE team is working to provide the most effective response.”
Lynne Cheliak, director of operations for CMHA's Simcoe County branch, called today's announcement a “significant milestone” for the community.
The investment goes beyond a financial one, she said, adding it shows a commitment to the future of the well-being of residents.
“(It) exemplifies the power of collaboration and the extraordinary results that can be achieved when we unite with a shared vision,” said Cheliak. “Our approaches may differ in philosophy and mandate, but our unwavering dedication to this community is what binds us together.”
Cheliak said the partnership will allow them to deliver timely and appropriate interventions, alleviating pressure on local emergency services and emergency rooms.
"It highlights the critical importance of investing in community-based mental health and addiction services, which are essential for the right level of intervention, diversion and service navigation for our most vulnerable population,” she said. “We are thrilled to integrate the CARE program … ensuring individuals receive the right care at the right time with the right resources.”
The types of calls and services utilized through the pilot program can be tracked, said Jones, adding that data will help determine the success of the program.
“I have full confidence that the care model we are announcing today ... (is) going to be very successful," she said.
The CARE team's mandate includes:
- On-scene interventions and de-escalation, including support for Barrie police to dispatch this team and divert calls away from police involvement.
- Referrals to connect people to treatment, primary care and community-based supports close to home.
- Transportation to treatment facilities or safe locations, such as a treatment withdrawal management facility, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Simcoe County Branch’s in-home mobile withdrawal management services or their safe bed program.
- Follow up care within 72 hours of an intervention, including arranging an ambulance if a visit to a hospital emergency department is required.
- Each health-led model of mobile crisis response team will be implemented as a community paramedicine program and will not impact 9-1-1 ambulance services, including dispatch.
