Provincial Constable Dave Holmes says a grant from the provincial government will make it easier for the OPP to respond to more mental health crises.
Earlier this week, the Grenville County OPP detachment received expansion funding for its Mobile Crisis Response Team.
The initiative sees officers helping people struggling with their mental health, addictions, and problems like homelessness, with help from Brockville General Hospital nurses.
“Our team right now, in part thanks to this funding, is able to have, essentially, a ‘north end’ and a ‘south end’ team,” Holmes says. “Having two teams out on the road provides a much quicker response to calls for service, so we’re able to attend the scene a lot faster. We’re also able to attend more than one scene at the same time.”
He says the grant funding is essential for maintaining that two-team model, since Brockville General Hospital uses it to pay the nurses that take part in the program.
If you or a loved one are having a mental health emergency, Holmes says you can ask for the Mobile Crisis Response Team whenever you call 9-1-1.
