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Nottawasaga OPP kicks off Mental Health & Wellness awareness campaign

December 4, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Nottawasaga OPP is launching a new campaign to bring public awareness to what can be done when a person is experiencing a mental crisis.

The OPP is committed to improving its response to the mental health needs of individuals within the community.

When it comes to mental health, every organization, community, and individual is affected in one way or another. The reasons are personal and not always known.

Many people may be experiencing added stress, and numerous local agencies are available to assist. Mental health and wellness go hand-in-hand, and that is the premise of this campaign.

It is important to break the silence and encourage courageous conversations between family, friends, co-workers and members of the public to establish a more non-judgemental and supportive working environment for everyone.

Since 2017, Nottawasaga OPP and York Support Services Network have been working together to provide local residents with support when they are experiencing a mental health or addiction crisis.

Known as the Mobile Crisis Response Team, it includes an OPP officer and a YSSN crisis response worker. This team responds to calls for persons in crisis within the Nottawasaga detachment area. They provide on-scene assessment, support, and referrals to community services as required.

One of the team’s primary objectives is to bring crisis support to the person in crisis rather than having to transport them to access help. While the police constable ensures safety, the crisis response worker is able to speak with the person in crisis to better understand the reasons for the crisis, determine risks of harm, provide emotional support, discuss coping strategies, develop safety plans, and make referrals to community resources.

If necessary, the MCRT will assist with apprehensions under the Mental Health Act and help people in crisis feel more comfortable with the process of being transported to a hospital for assessment.

The team also provides follow-up support, primarily by means of telephone or face-to-face visits.

The MCRT attends a weekly meeting with representatives from several community agencies, called the Collaborate Nottawasaga Situation Table, to discuss how to best support people facing difficult times.

If someone is experiencing a crisis and feels uncomfortable contacting the police, they can connect with a crisis worker by calling YSSN’s 24/7 Community Crisis Response Service at 1-855-310-COPE (2673). Text or live chat via cope.yssn.ca is available from 7:00 a.m. to midnight.

YSSN also offers face-to-face mobile support visits and short-term crisis beds.

For information about this program, including the application for services, please visit yssn.ca or call 1-844-660-6602.

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