New program partners Kingston police with local addiction, mental health professionals

On Tuesday, representatives from Addiction and Mental Health Services of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (AMHS-KFLA) were at Kingston police headquarters to announce a joint program meant to better address mental health 911 calls in the city.

The program, called Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team, officially began in Kingston on Oct. 2 and is modelled after others of its kind, most notably a program implemented in Hamilton, where the local hospital has partnered with the Hamilton police force for over two decades.

In Kingston, experienced crisis workers from AMHS-KFLA, along with specially trained police officers, will respond to both emergency and non-emergency mental health calls within the city in an effort to reduce arrests during such calls.

The program is also meant to help better serve those in crisis so they can access the right type of care.

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“This will help individuals to access the most appropriate care within our community and assist at finding alternatives for mental health and addiction issue,” said Kingston police Chief Antje McNeely.

According to a news release from Kingston police, the program is meant to reduce arrest rates during mental health calls by 40 per cent. Kingston police say they respond to an average of four mental health calls per day, which can tie up officers for a lengthy period of time.

The new program is being funded by an almost $1-million provincial grant awarded to the Kingston Police Service last year.

McNeely says they also hope the initiative will increase police referrals to AMHS-KFLA’s safe bed program, which offers a place to sleep and care to those in the midst of a mental health crisis who have recently been involved with police.

Overall, they hope the program will alleviate the impact of the consistent number of mental health calls on police services and emergency rooms in Kingston.