Interior Health and RCMP expand joint crisis and mental health response teams | 24CA News

Interior Health and the RCMP have introduced the growth and rebranding of joint disaster response groups in Kamloops and Kelowna. 

Formerly referred to as Car 40 and the Police and Crisis Team (PACT), the Integrated Crisis Response Team will pair a front-line RCMP officer and skilled psychological well being employee to answer psychological well being and addictions emergencies, from 8 a.m. to eight p.m., 12 hours a day, seven days per week. 

Health and police businesses hope the specialised, expanded, built-in program will de-escalate doubtlessly harmful incidents and redirect these in disaster away from the felony system.

“When people are in crisis because of mental illness or addictions challenges, we want them to be met with care,” mentioned Sheila Malcolmson, B.C.’s minister of psychological well being and addictions.

“Expanding the successful [teams] in Kamloops and Kelowna will support more people in distress and connect them to help and health care.”

Susan Brown, the CEO of Interior Health, says new psychiatric nurses will likely be employed and skilled as a part of the expanded program. Funding will come from the company’s international funds. 

Staffing ranges and the daytime of operation are based mostly on an evaluation of present emergency name information and will likely be monitored to guarantee wants are met.

Currently, one IH nurse is obtainable in every metropolis. Kelowna is staffed with 4 RCMP officers and Kamloops two.

The growth will see three nurses in every metropolis. Kamloops will add a 3rd RCMP officer to the workforce, whereas Kelowna’s will stay at 4. RCMP and metropolis politicians have been calling for an growth of the service for a while.

Emergency response calls escalating

“Unfortunately, our mental health calls for service and mental health apprehensions in the southeast district continue to increase.  The statistics demonstrate how important this work is,” mentioned Chief Superintendent Brad Haugli, the RCMP’s southeast district commander.

Haugli says emergency operators dealt with 17,484 requires disaster intervention in 2021, a 16 % enhance since 2019.

Regional RCMP detachments made 3,248 crisis-related apprehensions final 12 months, a 21 % enhance since 2019. 

An Interior Health-RCMP joint committee will proceed to fulfill to look at disaster response providers throughout the area, together with these in smaller jurisdictions.

Penticton and Vernon metropolis councils have known as for this system to be arrange in different cities. Brown says that may require extra research and session. 

“As we get more rural, this particular model may not be the right model,” mentioned the Interior Health CEO.

Cities welcome growth

The newly elected mayors of Kamloops and Kelowna, who campaigned on public issues of safety, welcomed Thursday’s announcement. 

“We know that RCMP continue to face mounting mental health-related calls,” mentioned Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas.

“Having professionals with the necessary training to deal with mental illness will help people in our community who are experiencing a mental health crisis.”

This is a good step ahead,” echoed Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson.

“I do know residents of Kamloops will likely be completely satisfied to listen to in regards to the growth of this disaster response service as we proceed to see many individuals combating psychological well being and substance use points on our streets.”