PACT members from left to right: LPS Cst. Tyler Boras, AHS Mental Health Therapist Sid Wolfe, AHS Mental Health Therapist Marco Ander, and LPS Cst. Derek Williamson. (Photo courtesy the Lethbridge Police Service)

By Justin Goulet

Lethbridge Police and AHS’ PACT initiative proving successful for mental health call response

Mar 25, 2022 | 8:52 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A partnership between Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) is helping out community members affected by mental health challenges.

The PACT initiative, or the Police and Crisis Team, pairs an LPS constable with an AHS mental health therapist to better serve high risk and chronic clients. The program was launched in 2018 and a second PACT pairing was added in August 2021. Since the inception of the second team, the LPS notes that the number of interventions by PACT has grown every month.

Between November 2021 and February 2022, a total of 215 files were handled, as compared to 64 files through the same timeframe a year earlier with just one team.

Cst. Derek Williamson is one of two LPS officers with PACT. He believes it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved, noting that “with the addition of a second team we are now able to offer follow up and bridge therapy to clients until other mental health services and connections can be made.”

“Prior to PACT, frontline patrol officers were assigned all mental health calls, which would often tie them up for hours of a shift.”

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Williamson added that wait times for officers at the hospital have been reduced because of the connections the mental health therapists have, as well as their ability to call ahead to the psychiatric team at the hospital.

Paul Weiss, Director for Addiction and Mental Health Community Based Services South Zone said, “the added resource has provided more opportunities for Addiction and Mental Health services to be provided in the community, as well as helping individuals make connections to other teams and programs.”

PACT is called out to a scene by patrol officers when dealing with a client who would benefit from being connected, or re-connected with community-based resources, including mental and physical health supports, housing and financial assistance. The team also received calls from other community agencies and can monitor individuals in the short-term until they have been connected with appropriate services.

NEW TOOLS FOR OFFICERS

The LPS is providing all officers with two additional tools to help them better understand and respond to mental health calls.

The HealthIM digital platform is set to launch this spring and will provide officers with a pre-response safety briefing and support their assessment on whether a person should be transported to a designated facility for evaluation.

Police officers have also completed ‘Brain Safety Certification’, which is an online resource that provides them with knowledge on brain development and the effects that stress and adverse experiences can have on physical and/or mental health.

READ MORE: New tool in Alberta to improve police interactions for mental health emergencies

READ MORE: LPS to join new provincial mental health response platform this spring

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