By Ashley Wiebe

Addictions Crisis Team will help find community supports for people in need

Jan 16, 2018 | 3:04 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Canadian Mental Health Association is continuing to work with the Medicine Hat Police Service when it comes to mental health issues in our community.

The two agencies have been working together on a new partnership which dives even deeper and is meant to look at the root cause of some of these concerns.

The idea is to have two more staffers working as part of the addiction crisis team. They’ll work hand-in-hand with officers, getting even more help to people when they need it most.

It’s expected that one will work in the police station and will help with addictions related calls officers are responding to.

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A second worker will be out in the community.

Cori Fischer with CMHA said they’re excited about the new partnership and believe it will mean good things for the city.

“It’s so very exciting to have that partnership with the city police,” she said. “They’re recognizing that the tactics that we were using before aren’t working now. We’re seeing the same individuals over and over and over again in the legal system who have addictions. The legal system is not addressing the addiction issue and until the addiction issue is addressed, nothing is going to change.”

Fischer said it’s great to see how the service is changing and recognizing that not everyone needs to be caught in the criminal justice system.

She hopes this will also help address the root causes of some mental health concerns.

“They’ve opened up and are willing to look at different opportunities to support the community and to support the individuals in the community, looking at the root of the problem, root of the cause of the illegal actions and I think that’s going to make a huge difference,” she said.