Canadian Mental Health Association Southeast Division

By Regan Tate

New team to respond to low-risk mental health emergency calls in Medicine Hat

Sep 10, 2022 | 9:10 AM

Medicine Hat, AB–A new team is being deployed in Medicine Hat to respond to low-risk mental health emergency calls.

The Canadian Mental Health Association of Alberta Southeast Region (CMHA ASER) has developed an alternative crisis response program called “Community Assisted Response (CARE)”.

One of the goals is to help decriminalize the response to mental illness, addiction, and homelessness.

The Provincial Government’s civil society fund has contributed $451-thousand dollars over one year for this pilot project that is being done in partnership with the Medicine Hat Police Service.

Right now, members of the police service are often called to be the primary first responders to many low-risk mental health emergency calls, welfare checks, and intoxicated person calls.

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Responding to these calls leaves police less time to respond to more serious criminal matters.

The CMHA says the presence of uniformed police officer is sometimes triggering to a person in crisis and may escalate the problem.

Through this new program, the CARE team will employ two teams of mental health first-responders who will respond to mental health calls where there are no weapons, indications of violence, or signs of aggression.

CMHA says the goal for the team will be to provide support and assist in efficiently accessing available services.

Inspector Brent Secondiak says “each year the MHPS responds to an estimated 800 calls for service that are not criminal in nature and would be better suited the expertise of mental health professionals.” Secondiak believes “the addition of the CARE team will allow our officers to focus their efforts on serious criminal matters impacting public safety and will better provide persons in crisis with the support they need.”

Lyndon Grunewald, the Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Southeast Region believes “the service will provide a valuable resource to those seeking assistance in their mental wellness journey.”