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14 w = = a KATHY YANCHUS: kyanchus@metroland.com 1@ IFP - Halton Hills | Thursday, October 27,2022 Year over year, mental % health priority calls for = 2 Halton police increase by approximately 200. “The incidents that our mee respond to are frequency, but ee, 're also extremely high risk, not only for the person in crisis but also for their families, the Notice of Temporary Road Closures due to Events The following roads will be temporarily closed for the following Remembrance Day events: Acton Remembrance Day Parade Saturday, November 5, 2022, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Mill Street East between Main Street and Eastern Ave. Day Parade Sunday, November 6, 2022 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. — Market Street between Mill Street and Church Street. — Church Street between Market Street and Main Street. — Main Street between Church Street and James Street. — James Street between Main Street and Princess Anne Drive. Glen Williams Remembrance Day Parade Sunday, November 6, 2022, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Main Street in Glen Williams between Glen Williams Public School and Confederation Street. Acton Remembrance Day Service Friday, November 11, 2022, 10:45 - 11:45 a.m. Mill Street East between Main Street and Eastern Ave. Day Service Questions? theifp.ca Friday, November 11, 2022, 10:45 - 11:45 a.m. James Street between Charles Street and Draper Street. Contact the Recreation and Parks Department at 905-873-2600, ext. 2269. community at large and for the first responders are working with thom, said Sgt. Ric Jud- son, who heads the force's mental health service de- livery program. TOWN OF HALTON HILLS But expanding com- munity collaboration and partnerships, as well as mandatory training in mental health for all offi- cers, is leading to some encouraging statistics. Citizens who have been supported by Halton po- lice's mental health teams speak of the ositive in: pact those officers hav had on them, said Halton Inspector Julie Crad- dock, who along with Jud- son, led a presentation on the HRPS mental health service delivery program at the most recent Halton Board meeting ug. 25. Highlights from the puveentation included the follow’ «Som of the mental health ilinesses officers come in contact with in- clude schizophrenia/psy- chosis, borderline per- sonality disorder, addic- tions and dementia. + In 2011, police re- sponded to 1,656 mental health priority calls. In 2021, that number was 4,049 and in 2020, 3,772. + In 2011, Halton police apprehended a Person in crisis more than 50 per cent of the time because there were few other op- tions, said Judson. This HALTON POLICE PLACE HIGH PRIORITY ON MENTAL HEALTH DELIVERY PROGRAMS compares to an apprehen- sion rate of someone who is deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, approximately 40 per cent in 2021. + Although numbers continue to escalate, Jud- son believes it could be the community's com- bined efforts to de-stig- matize mental illness, as opposed toa crisis. "We're ‘ing it more comfort- able for people to reach police committed t to voataing, all frontline members in Cri- sis Intervention Train- ing, an internationally recognized empathy- based program in crisis intervention and de-esca- lation. + One of the HRPS cri- sis response _ teams, COAST, Crisis Outreach and Support Team, is a longtime tte interven- tion partnership with the Canadian Mental Health ‘Association, Halton ch. The team sists of a crisis worker and plain clothes police officer who provide sup- port in the community in advance of an emergency, with the mandate to di- ert an individual from the hospital or the crimi- nal justice system. Indi- viduals must be 16 years of age or older. A COAST team works every day covering a 24-hour period and pre-pandemic, was making up to 450 annual community visits. + The Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team, mandate. This team, con- sisting of a crisis worker (RN or social worker) and uniformed police officer, provides care at the time of a crisis, de-escalating, providing a risk assess- ment and creating a safe- ty plan for individuals of any age in crisis. MCRRT teams have responded to between 1,100 and 1,300 mental health calls annu- ally since 2017. * One of Halton's first community safety and wellbeing initiatives, the Situation Table, contin- ues with 30+ community members meeting weekly fo discuss cases in the mmunity of acutely ele- vated risk that could ben- efit from assistance. These are situations where it has been decided person or family or neigh- bourhood, the risk willes- calate. Between 70 and 100 situations are presented to this table annually. + The Complex Service Navigator is an employee from CMHA who works with Halton police on a small caseload of the most complex cases. Hosting an event online or in the community? Post the details for free in our calendar.