Lethbridge Police and community to benefit from mental health resource
Front line Lethbridge Police officers will have ready access to another tool to help them better respond to mental health crisis calls starting this spring.
As part of a provincial roll-out to law enforcement agencies, it’s anticipated Lethbridge Police will be able to tap into the HealthlM digital crisis response platform sometime in April.
The information provided through the new program on their duty-issued mobile phone or other device will support police when interacting with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis and at risk of harm. It will also aid officers in communicating their observations to appropriate health care professionals in a speedy, secure manner.
“Our members respond to a number of calls based on addictions and mental health issues, and through this readily available use of technology they can quickly access the resources to better serve these clients in a safer and more effective manner,” says Police Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh.
A presentation on the new provinciallyled initiative and anticipated benefits of the HealthIM platform was provided to members of the Lethbridge Police Commission at its meeting Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.
HealthIM provides officers with a preresponse safety briefing and supports their professional judgement in assessing whether a person should be transported to a designated facility for evaluation. Officers can also offer to connect the individual to community service partners if further intervention is not warranted.
Privacy impact assessments were submitted from both provincial policing and health authorities. The secure mental health reporting system will be installed on police duty-issue mobile devices and in acute care sites.
The information available includes preresponse safety briefings for police including de-escalation techniques to support peaceful resolution of interactions, any known triggers and other information compiled from previous contact with the person in crisis, including weapons possession and any violent behaviour.
The software also provides a rapid, onscene evaluation of risk of harm and can help police determine whether it’s warranted to transport the individual to a health facility under the Mental Health Act, or whether community-based services are more appropriate. The tool also supports inter-agency communication to expedite any transfer of care for the individual.
Alberta Health has provided funding to cover the implementation of HealthIM to all police services in the province for the first year and ongoing funding is under review. The Edmonton Police Service will be the first in Alberta to fully implement the digital information system.
“Chief Mehdizadeh and leaders from across the Lethbridge Police Service have prioritized the needs of vulnerable individuals suffering from mental health challenges in crisis,” says Dan Pearson Hirdes, President of HealthIM. “Thanks to funding from the provincial government, HealthIM will further empower LPS members to provide a safer and more evidence-informed response to emergency crisis situations”
HealthIM has previously been adopted provincially in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and used by numerous police services in Ontario, where the company is based, and B.C. Those who have implemented the system have reported a number of positive outcomes including a decreased wait time at designated facilities and an overall elevated level of care for persons in crisis.