The City of Winnipeg could implement a new way to deal with mental health calls to 911. An independent study by Pensa Consulting is recommending the city create another emergency response system to deal with people in crisis, in addition to police, fire and ambulance. It’s a concept Mayor Scott Gillingham has been calling for. “It’s about getting the right response from the right provider at the right time to meet the need,” said Gillingham. The report says this could reroute more than 10,000 911 calls a year, freeing up police, fire and paramedics. Police say they deal with more than 20,000 well-being checks alone each year. Chief Gene Bowers says officers are often stuck at the hospital waiting with a person who is dealing with a mental health issue. “We just had a very violent weekend, the frustration that they can’t be out there doing the work that they’re trained to keep our city safe,” said Bowers. Under the plan, eligible 911 calls would be diverted to a community crisis dispatch and hub, which would send mobile teams to provide care as well as followup supports. Staff from a number of exiting community organizations, like the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, will be tasked with providing the care. The study outlines a set of criteria where calls could be diverted, including where no criminal act has occurred, there is no weapon or violence, the person is asking for help, there is no forced entry required, and there are no injuries or medical concerns. “I’ve been to many mental health calls and I can tell you the majority of them are non-violent,” said Bowers. Estimates in the report say this could cost close to $6 million. Gillingham says he will be asking council to endorse the report’s recommendations in September and request the province partner with the city to make this happen. In a statement, Minister Bernadette Smith says they are committed to ongoing collaboration with the city, first responders, police and community partners to ensure the frontline is well prepared to support the needs of Manitobans.
