The Royal and Ottawa police are joining forces to launch a new mobile crisis response team aimed at helping people experiencing mental illness or substance crises.
According to press releases from each of the agencies, the unit will be able to deliver immediate specialized support to people in the community. It will be led by a pair of clinical mental health professionals from The Royal’s soon-to-open urgent care clinic.
Paired with a specially trained police officer, the small group will respond to calls from the National Capital Region and will help de-escalate and direct people to community services.
It’s set to launch in the spring and will work alongside the urgent care clinic. Officials note in a press release that the unit will help fill a gap seen for people experiencing these types of health crises by providing compassionate, timely treatment.
“This partnership is one more example of how The Royal is transforming mental health care in our region,” says Stephanie Carter, Executive Director, Clinical Services, The Royal. “Through initiatives like the Mobile Crisis Response Team with OPS and our Urgent Care Clinic, we’re working together to improve access to treatment and create a system that works better for everyone.”
The institution is one of Canada’s best mental illness and addiction treatment and research hospitals.
Ottawa police deputy chief said the unit is aiming to help the force respond better to mental health crises in the city.
“These MCRTs enable us to connect people to the care and support they need, reflecting the OPS’s commitment to responding to mental health crises in the community,” Paul Burnett, with Ottawa police, said in the press release.
The program is being provided through funding from the Solicitor General of Ontario until 2027. It is the newest mobile crisis response team after one with The Ottawa Hospital launched with police in October.
A police officer poses with a health professional from The Ottawa Hospital. (OPS)