Leamington District Memorial Hospital and the Ontario Provincial Police have launched what they call a formal approach to helping the mentally ill get help faster in the Emergency Department.
The hospital and the OPP have signed a Transfer of Care Memorandum of Agreement.
OPP Inspector Glen Miller says officers, like those at police services across Ontario, get a lot of mental health calls. It is time spent in the Emergency Department with a patient waiting for assessment and service that could be spent patrolling county roads, but it is hoped the agreement will minimize time spent.
Miller says when an officer goes out on a mental health call, he or she will do a quick assessment of the caller and then call ahead to the hospital. Mental health professionals can be ready when they arrive.
"It's important for us not to be tied up for periods of time waiting for a person in order to get that type of assistance," says Miller. "It's important that our officers remain appropriately staged throughout the county in order to respond to high-priority calls."
Police recognize a variety of those with mental health, addiction and homeless issues have frequent contact with police and local hospital staff without an effective support solution in place.