Following several deaths during police wellness checks, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham is pushing for a dedicated mental health emergency service. The proposal comes as cities across Canada grapple with rising mental health crises, addictions, and homelessness. Winnipeg police data shows well-being checks are the top request for service, highlighting the need for alternative response models.
"I really suffered in silence, and I used many ways to cope in unhealthy and toxic ways," he says, adding he turned his life around and uses his story to try to help others.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham has asked for the creation of an emergency service dedicated to mental health calls. Requests for a new way to handle mental health calls in the city were renewed last year after deaths while in police custody. The crisis service sees two mental health clinicians respond to well-being checks without police. Calls are received through 211 or 911, and workers are dispatched if there aren't immediate public safety or medical concerns."Right off the hop, the teams work to try and understand the individual," said Mohamed Shuriye, the city's director of community safety and well-being.
Since it started, the program has taken thousands of calls, with police involved in about one per cent, said Morris. Mental health workers in Eugene, Oregon, saw the need to help the police department with social service calls. In 1989, Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets, or CAHOOTS, was born.Staff with the mobile crisis intervention program respond to a range of calls relating to welfare checks, public intoxication, ride requests and environmental concerns, such as drug paraphernalia.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said there are government initiatives to bolster mental health supports, including a partnership with a downtown Winnipeg foot patrol and funding for 25 mental health staff to work with police. A special meeting of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national Liberal caucus has been called for next Wednesday, sources say.A Nova Scotia community is mourning the loss of two of its members after they were shot and killed in Halifax on New Year's Eve.Foreign nationals who refuse or are unable to pay their own way home after being denied stay in Canada will soon face steeper financial penalties should they ever attempt to return.An American citizen convicted of participating in the Jan.
Angelina Jolie became an actor because it was her mother’s passion, but she has a message about finding your own Certain Ford, Acura and Land Rover models have been recalled in Canada over a variety of issues that pose a risk to drivers’ safety.Osamu Suzuki, the charismatic former boss of Suzuki Motor Corp. who helped turn the Japanese mini-vehicle maker into a globally competitive company, has died, the company said Friday. He was 94.Any skiers looking to avoid circling the parking lots at the world-famous Whistler Blackcomb resort can now solve that problem—but it comes with a six-figure price tag.
'I gave them a call, they didn't pick up': Canadian furniture store appears to have gone out of business Ontario college students could soon see their winter semester cut short as the union representing faculty at the province’s 24 public colleges could walk off the job as early as Thursday next week.Now that there’s a stretch of sub-zero temperatures in the forecast, volunteers have been busy getting ice rinks ready for skaters.Two people charged with murder after suspicious death on Sask.
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Mental Health Crisis: Call for Dedicated Emergency ServicesFollowing recent deaths during police wellness checks, cities are exploring alternative models for responding to mental health crises. Winnipeg, facing a surge in mental health calls, is seeking a dedicated emergency service. Toronto's Community Crisis Service, launched in 2022, responds to mental health crisis calls and wellness checks as a fourth emergency service, alongside police, paramedics, and fire services.
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Mental Health Crisis: Cities Seek Alternatives to Police Wellness ChecksAs concerns about police involvement in mental health crises grow, cities are exploring alternative response models. Toronto's Community Crisis Service, a dedicated mental health response team, is being hailed as a successful example. Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham calls for a similar service in his city, citing the rising number of mental health calls.
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Mental Health Crisis Calls: Need for Alternative Response ServicesThe need for dedicated mental health response services is gaining attention as cities grapple with the rising number of calls for well-being checks handled by police. Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham has called for the creation of a separate service for mental health emergencies, highlighting the growing need for alternatives to traditional policing.
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