ORANGEVILE, ON - March 11, 2022 – Headwaters Health Care Centre and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have received a two-year grant from the Solicitor General’s Mobile Crisis Response Team Enhancement Grant to create a partnership providing mobile support for individuals experiencing a moderate to severe mental health or addiction crisis in the community. The Dufferin Mobile Crisis Response Team (D-MCRT) will consist of a co-response team pairing an OPP officer with a Crisis Specialist from the hospital.
“Mobile Crisis Response Teams are best positioned to respond to people experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis and to de-escalate situations that could pose a risk to public safety,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “At a time when police are increasingly confronted with the need to assist vulnerable people in acute crisis situations, this new grant program will expand the ability to deliver appropriate services and underlines our government’s commitment to public safety.”
D-MCRT will provide much needed support as well as complement existing mental health and addiction resources within our community.
In working together to share knowledge and skills, from both the police and health care, there is an opportunity to create an expanded continuum of clinical support for our community.
“We are excited about this new partnership and what it will mean for our community,” said Kim Delahunt, President & CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre. “The team will be able to provide assistance, where it’s needed, which may not be in a hospital setting.”
The intention is to build on the existing services and strengths of our community to address a gap in the service system through improved collaboration between the sectors; enhanced transfers of care, including police-hospital transitions; and increased access to the services for those experiencing crisis. This creates more positive outcomes for individuals and supports appropriate utilization of available community resources.
Services provided by the partnership will include: telephone crisis support, joint mobile crisis response, short-term crisis intervention including de-escalation and assessment, community referrals; follow up supports and connection to ongoing services; education for patients, their families and supports, effective and efficient police hospital transitions including facilitation of emergency services and interventions should hospital assessment and/or admission be required; and outreach to individuals who may be reluctant to seek mental health and addiction services.
“This partnership will enhance our response to the community. We are building on existing services and taking our service delivery to the next level,” said Inspector Terry Ward, Commander, Dufferin OPP Detachment.
Headwaters reports an average of 1,529 visits to the emergency department annually for mental health and addiction services, or just over four visits each day; a number that has steadily risen since the onset of the pandemic. The OPP reports an average of 74.5 mental health and addiction calls each month, most requiring an average of 2.5 hours of response time.
With D-MCRT, the police are able to respond to a call with an HHCC Crisis Specialist, reducing emergency department visits and inpatient admissions, while ensuring the right supports are in place when and where they are needed.
Headwaters and the OPP have a longstanding collaborative relationship. This will be an important first step in building on that partnership and expanding the mental health continuum of care by providing ongoing mobile response to those experiencing a moderate to severe mental health or addiction crisis in Dufferin County.
Media Contacts:
Acting Sergeant Terri-Ann Pencarinha
Media Relations Coordinator
Ontario Provincial Police - Central Region
519-943-3838
Provincial Constable Jennifer Roach
Dufferin OPP Detachment
519-278-6510
Jennifer.Roach@opp.ca
Jennifer Hamilton, MA, MBA
Director, Communication and Stakeholder Relations
Headwaters Health Care Centre
519-278-5085
jhamilton@headwatershealth.ca