Mental health, substance crisis calls get new team
Windsor residents experiencing a crisis due to a mental health or substance abuse can expect a “real time” health response thanks to a new program that partners police with health-care specialists.
The Windsor Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (MCRRT), which pairs a trained mental health social worker with a front line police officer, launched Monday.
The program is the result of an expanded alliance between Hotel-dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Police Service.
“The Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team will bring a compassionate response through an important partnership within two systems — health care and the justice system,” Dr. Sonja Grbevski, HDGH vice-president of mental health and addictions, said in a news release.
“When responding to a call, the focus will be on de-escalation, stabilization, providing counselling and then hopefully an ongoing connection to further community supports should the individual be willing.”
The rapid response teams will consist of the same two officers and mental health social workers specially trained in crisis intervention. Two units will operate Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., responding to police-dispatched calls for individuals with symptoms of mental illness, substance abuse, behavioural disorders or people in acute crisis situations.
Windsor police report a steady rise in mental health-related calls for service. In 2020 there were 2,715 calls, compared to 2,166 in 2016 — a 25.3 per cent increase.
According to police, prior to the launch of the new program the typical response to mental health calls was by front line officers who have all been trained in crisis intervention techniques.
If it was determined a person in crisis needed medical care, that person would be apprehended under the Ontario Mental Health Act and taken for assessment at a local hospital.
“This is a transformative change for our community,” said Police Chief Pamela Mizuno.
“Providing service delivery that prioritizes mental health and addiction supports can only be done within a framework of collaboration.
“Responding together means we can connect individuals with the care they need from the subject matter experts who provide such care.”
Funding for the program was received by Hotel-dieu Grace Healthcare through Roadmap to Wellness, Ontario's strategy to build a mental health and addiction system that improves quality of care, expands existing services, provide innovative solutions and improves access.
The province announced in November that it would fund the expansion of rapid response teams across Ontario.
Hotel-dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor police also partner on the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST), which consists of a plain-clothes officer and a mental health social worker who conduct mental health and risk assessments.
Hotel-dieu Grace Healthcare also works with the Ontario Provincial Police to provide a rapid response team covering the county as well as a Youth Crisis Response Team that responds to emergency mental health calls for youth up to the age of 16.
For further information on all of Hotel-dieu Grace Healthcare's mental health police teams or to access referral forms, visit