British Columbia is expanding an innovative new program aimed at reducing the use of police to respond to mental health crises.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) launched its first PACT, which stands for peer-assisted care team, on the North Shore in Metro Vancouver in November, and is now being funded to expand it to Victoria and New Westminster.
The initiative pairs a trained peer-support worker with a mental health professional, who can be deployed to help a person or family facing mental health distress.
“It evolved from a realization that many people that were experiencing significant mental health distress were not having manty options when it came to accessing support,” said Julia Kaisla, executive director for CMHA North & West Vancouver.
“They are available so when you make a phone call or you text us, we can either deploy a team or we can respond to you on the phone. So you are getting help where you are when you need it.”
Since the pilot launched, teams have responded to about 270 calls.
Kaisla said the team is trained to address issues including anxiety, depression and substance use and provide support to people and families unsure of how to access services.
The team can offer support over the phone or meet in person to talk and help plot out next steps.
The program comes in the wake of a number of recent high-profile cases in which a police response to a wellness check or mental health call have resulted in injury or death.
Last week, an all-party committee reviewing B.C.’s police act issued a slew of recommendations aimed at reducing the use of police as a first response to mental health crises.
Among the recommendations was the creation and funding of community-led responses for mental health calls.
“(PACT) works very separately from police, but in a case where we did have a security issue or a safety issue we would call for their support,” Kaisla said.
“But at this point in time we’re really hoping to work in a way with police meaning that if they go to a call and they aren’t able to support the family member or the family that’s around the individual that’s there, then they can refer families to us so we can support them.”
The provincial government is now funding an additional $1.26 million to expand the program on the North Shore, and to establish teams in the cities of Victoria and New Westminster later this year.
People seeking support can reach the team Thursdays to Sundays, between 6 p.m. and midnight at -1888-261-7228 by phone or 778-839-1831 by text.