Caller in crisis ‘needed mentalhealth support, not police’

CAMBRIDGE A new mom struggling with depression after having a baby was one of 42 police calls that have so far been diverted to mentalhealth workers in a pilot program.

Waterloo Regional Police launched the Crisis Call Diversion Program in early November.

Workers from the Canadian Mental Health Association take calls that have a mental-health component; they speak to callers from a private office at a police call centre.

In one recent instance, a woman called police after having a baby, said Jeff Stanlick of the Canadian Mental Health Association, speaking about the program at a Jan. 18 police board meeting.

“This presentation of this individual was really consistent with postpartum depression and really needed mental-health support, not police,” said Stanlick, adding that the assessment was given to the family doctor.

After doing an assessment of the woman and checking in with a family member about safety, the team scheduled an appointment with the woman’s doctor.

Those handling the diverted crisis call are there to help a caller in crisis by offering referrals and helping them navigate the mental-health system.

Followups are also done.

In the program’s first two months, 42 calls were diverted.

Thirty-two of the 42 calls did not require a police response: 17 calls were resolved in the moment by a program worker, 13 were flagged for followup from a mental-health clinician and two were rerouted to the IMPACT field team, a program that has mental-health workers go out to crisis calls with police.

A total of 31 separate people were served through the program and the average call time was 22.5 minutes, not including time spent filling out documentation.

If during the call, the crisis call diversion worker thinks a police response is needed, the call will be sent back to the dispatch. Those circumstances could include a call where there’s any sign of danger to the caller or to someone else, active attempts or plans of suicide, violence, drug overdose, domestic violence or a crime.

Even when a call is sent back to police dispatchers, the mentalhealth workers can stay on the line speaking with the caller to de-escalate and explain what to expect when police arrive.

Police hope the program will reduce front line calls by 20 per cent.

The program runs Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m., and on the weekend from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The hours align with times where there is high demand for the Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team (IMPACT). In 2022, the team was dispatched 1,245 times.

In April 2022, police received $9.3 million to fund both the pilot and the police’s community engagement and well-being branch.

About $938,821 over three years will be used to hire and train staff, and renovate the office space.

Those handling the diverted crisis call are there to help a caller in crisis by offering referrals and helping them navigate the mental-health system