A partnership between Canadian Mental Health Association [CMHA] registered nurses and Lambton OPP is making a noticeable impact as it celebrates its second anniversary.
In the first year of the program, from August 2019 to August 2020, the Mental Health Engagement and Response Team [MHEART] was involved in 914 mental health or addiction crisis related calls throughout Lambton County and the City of Sarnia.
Constable Jamie Bydeley said the OPP's program was recently re-named the Mobile Crisis Response Team and has been involved in 147 occurrences so far this year.
"Typically without the nurse riding along, our officers would have to make determinations on scene and then transport to hospital where medical staff can assess individuals," said Bydeley. "It's so nice to have the medical staff with us that can do those assessments right on scene, where the person is, and not having [the individual] undergo transport to hospital."
Bydeley said the partnership has proven to be invaluable.
"It just brings that level of expertise that our officers were unsure of before and the processes become a lot longer for our officers when we're not sure of medical terminologies and so then we have to take different steps, whereas she [the registered nurse] is able to address things directly right there saving everybody time and added stress."
Bydeley said the registered nurse does more than participate in ride-alongs.
"Sometimes it's a follow-up call. Maybe the night shift, when our nurse wasn't working, dealt with a mental health occurrence and they'll send a follow-up task for our MCRT worker, so then she can reach out to the individual to get set up with different resources."
Bydeley said the program has been so successful they're working to grow it.
"We are actually in the process right now of bringing another nurse on board."
Bydeley said the team is assigned to calls by dispatch and can not be requested when contacting the Provincial Communications Centre.
Anyone experiencing a mental health or addiction related crisis is asked to contact the Lambton Kent Mental Health First Response Team at 519-336-3445 or 1-800-307-4319.
If it's an emergency, dial 911.
