WINNIPEG – Psychological well being staff will be part of Winnipeg law enforcement officials who reply to wellness checks as a part of a brand new pilot mission starting subsequent month.
The Different Response to Residents in Disaster is a brand new program that features the Winnipeg Police Service, Shared Well being disaster response companies and town.
It is going to see 4 designated officers staff up with a gaggle of clinicians to reply psychological well being calls the place specialised companies could also be wanted.
The staff with function over a 12-hour interval from Monday to Friday.
Winnipeg police say the staff will present psychological well being assist throughout a reported disaster in addition to followup companies equivalent to sources for addictions remedy or methods to entry housing.
Police say wellness calls have elevated in the course of the previous 12 months and officers can obtain greater than 15 calls a day requesting assist.
The transfer comes as grassroots teams throughout the nation have been calling for options to police responding to psychological well being calls following the police-shooting deaths of Chantal Moore and Rodney Levi final 12 months. Each died after officers responded to wellness checks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Nov. 29, 2021.
