Sarnia's police chief says a mental health team introduced in 2019 has been a notable benefit for the service and the community.
The Mental Health Engagement and Response Team (MHEART) is made up of one plain-clothed police officer and two trained mental health nurses.
Chief Norm Hansen said the team continues to improve the service's ability to help those in a mental health crisis through both proactive and reactive interactions.
"It's improved not only our service to the clients, I mean the people that are in crisis don't always need to be apprehended, and this is helping make decisions in that way. It's also reduced the number of times our officers have to apprehend somebody and then ultimately, sit in the emergency room with them for up to three hours at a time."
Sarnia Police Chief Norm Hansen Blackburn News Sarnia File photo.
From April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, wait times for people requiring crisis care at Bluewater Health dropped from an average of three hours to the current wait time of one hour and 47 minutes. The service's current target wait time is one hour and 30 minutes, with the hope of reducing it down to one hour in the future. Pre-MHEART admission rates to Bluewater Health were 40 per cent as compared to a 70 per cent admission rate currently.
During the same period, the team handled 234 of the 675 mental health and suicide-related calls received by the service.
Hansen said the team also conducts follow-up calls.
"So say after hours or when they're not in, our officers attend a call and feel that there should be some sort of follow-up, then MHEART attends and does the follow-up."
Hansen talked about the continued growth of the team moving forward.
"Well I'm assuming that the numbers are basically going to speak for themselves and that going forward we will expand the program whenever it's possible. However, just like everything else, everything depends on budget."
A Sarnia Police report said the continued development of MHEART, with the partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association and Bluewater Health, will continue to serve the citizens in the Sarnia community for many years to come.
