Thanks to a new partnership between the Canadian Mental Health Association Elgin-Middlesex, the Elgin County OPP and the Aylmer Police Service, residents in Elgin County who are experiencing a mental health crisis will be able to receive increased support.
Similar to the Mobile Outreach Support Team (MOST) in St. Thomas, the newly formed Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) will respond to mental health calls for service in both Elgin County and the Town of Aylmer.
The MCRT team will respond to mental health calls as they are happening as well as conduct follow-up to provide support to those who may have had a mental health crisis outside of the MCRT’s team’s hours of operation.
Nadine Ivankovic, a mental health crisis worker with CMHA Elgin-Middlesex, will be working closely with officers from the Elgin County OPP and the Aylmer Police.
As part of the MCRT Team, Nadine will work with the Elgin OPP on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and will work with the Aylmer Police Service on Wednesdays.
Brianne Geddis, Manager of Elgin Crisis Services and Crisis Call Diversion, CMHA Elgin-Middlesex says “By forming the Mobile Crisis Response Team, residents in the City of St. Thomas as well as residents of the Town of Aylmer and Elgin County can access mental health support when experiencing a crisis. The establishment of this Mobile Crisis Response Team is the result of identified needs in the community and continued collaboration between CMHA Elgin-Middlesex, the Elgin OPP and the Aylmer Police Service. We are excited to launch MRCT and support those in crisis across the region as well as help enhance service delivery from the police services involved.”
Acting Inspector Mike Butler of the Elgin County OPP stated “We are so pleased to be getting this off the ground and up and running. We recognize that mental health crisis’s do not just occur Monday – Friday 8am to 4pm and would like to expand that service when additional funding can be secured. MCRT leverages the partnership between an officer and a trained mental health and addictions crisis worker to de-escalate a situation and support individuals. The MCRT attempts to streamline access to mental health crisis supports in emergent situations, to help ensure that the needed level of care is accessible. MCRT also helps to reduce the number of unnecessary referrals to the emergency department.”
Aylmer Police Chief Zvonko Horvat adds “The MCRT will be a valuable resource to those experiencing or those who have had a mental health crisis. Nadine and the MCRT police officer will be able to provide immediate or follow-up support and a connection to additional support services. In fact, when an MCRT responds there is opportunity for the individual in crisis to be provided onsite de-escalation, support and referral to community supports where they may be diverted from costly emergency department visits on mental health apprehensions. This decreases costs to both the justice and health care system. It must be stated though that when appropriate and necessary for the safety and well-being of an individual, the police will take an individual to the hospital.”
