How mental health workers and police in Thunder Bay are diverting crisis calls from the ER and jail

A program involving police, the hospital and mental health workers in Thunder Bay, Ont. is seeing success in its approach to mental health crisis calls.

The Integrated Mobile Police Assessment Crisis Team (IMPACT), launched at the start of 2021, consists of four full-time mental health workers and a rotation of specially-trained police staff. 

The team, which provides 24-7 service, aims to divert mental health calls away from 911 and direct people in crisis to community agencies that can best meet their needs.

A summary report of the program's first two years, prepared by Lakehead University's psychology department, was released this week showing IMPACT received 2,700 calls during that time.

About 64 per cent of those calls were for mental health services, and the same percentage of people were able to stay in the community to access support, rather than go to the emergency department or jail.

"They were able to be supported in community with family, friends, a good wellness plan, safety checks from our crisis line, perhaps accessing our safe beds, which we have now at CMHA, so the results are really promising," said Jennifer Hyslop, chief executive officer of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)'s Thunder Bay branch.

Having highly-trained crisis response workers who can de-escalate situations and determine people's needs has proven to be effective, she said. It has also given the officers on scene more confidence in handling these situations with care.

Reducing strain on health care and corrections

About 13 per cent of last year's calls were from youth. Although there were fewer calls for service overall in 2022 than in 2021, there were more mental health calls to police last year, "suggesting that as the program is evolving and becomes better known, the team may receive more appropriate calls for service," says the report.

In both years, 30 per cent of calls to IMPACT resulted in emergency department visits, and three per cent of users were brought to jail. 

"When officers spend time waiting at the hospital, it puts more strain on the already overburdened health care and law enforcement sectors. By reducing the time officers spend waiting at the hospital, IMPACT has led to measurable cost savings.

"Meanwhile, people in need are getting appropriate services from the correct service provider," said Insp. Derek West of the Thunder Bay Police Service's community outreach branch in a media release Tuesday.

More than 688 visits to the emergency department have been diverted so far this year because of the team's efforts, said Lisa Beck, director of trauma, ED and critical care at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

However, when people do need to visit the emergency department, the "support and presence of the IMPACT team … provides reassurance and improves the experience for the patient," she said in Tuesday's media release.

More 24-7 services needed: CMHA

Lakehead University's report indicates there haven't been a lot of repeat clients accessing the program, which suggests they were able to get the right support at the right time, Hyslop said.

As the program continues and more data is available, particularly now that the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, the team will have a better sense of its progress and where people are being referred.

Due to the number of calls being received, a provincial grant was offered to add a second shift running from noon to midnight last year. Hyslop said she hopes additional funding can further expand the program's reach.

But beyond IMPACT, she said the community needs more supports available 24 hours.

"We need far more resources and infrastructure in this community for particularly the addictions, substance misuse crises, because there really isn't a whole lot 24-7," she said. "Most people go home at 5 p.m., so we need to continue to build that infrastructure in this community for these types of situations."