Mental health workers to join OPP call centres

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This article was published 24/03/2021 (1888 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province is adding mental health workers to Ontario Provincial Police communications centres and starting a new diversion program for those in crisis, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced as part of the province’s 2021 budget.

“When a person experiences a mental health crisis, police officers are often the first to arrive and offer assistance,” budget documents say. “This is why Ontario is investing $8.4 million over three years in a critical call diversion program.

“This program will offer immediate support for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, ultimately providing the right supports, which may include diversion to appropriate mental health services. Mental health workers will be embedded in Ontario Provincial Police communications centres to provide support to individuals facing a mental health crisis, offering referrals and helping people find and access existing services.”

The province is also adding $12.5 million over three years to “enhance the (mental health) services available to OPP staff.”

“Mental health is health. Period,” Bethlenfalvy, who is also the Ontario’s Treasury Board president, said Wednesday in the legislature detailing the province’s 2021 budget.

“This phrase is so simple, and yet it represents a monumental shift in our society’s recognition that people with mental health and addictions challenges deserve access to the treatment and care they need.”

As part of the province’s $3.8 billion, decade-long funding for mental health and addictions, Bethlenfalvy said that COVID-19 “has only intensified the need for action” and some $175 million extra will be spent in 2021-22, for a total of $525 million.

About $7 million is set aside for help for post-secondary students, whether they are studying on campus or virtually, and especially those who are in vulnerable groups.

Bethlenfalvy said the funding also includes four new mobile mental health clinics to serve rural and underserved communities, as well as “a new program to embed mental health workers in police call centres, to ensure people in crisis get the right support, and investments to help our uniformed heroes, including veterans and Ontario Provincial Police staff.”

The mobile mental health clinics will be up and running this summer.

Last November, the province increased the number of mobile mental health teams working with police after seeing a spike in 911 calls response to an increase in 911 from people suffering distress because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @krushowy