'It's about saving lives': Pilot mental health crisis response program becomes permanent
A pilot project partnership between the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) and Shared Health to reduce the workload of emergency responders is now becoming a permanent resource available to help more people in mental health crisis.
The Alternative Response to Citizens in Crisis (ARCC) program began in December 2021, created in response to an increase in mental health-related police calls. The program sent plainclothes officers to non-criminal, non-emergent crises to better support the needs of those experiencing a mental health crisis.
Now, the Manitoba government is providing $414,000 to expand the program after a successful initial run. The money will pay for the program’s transition to an ongoing mental health intervention response.
"The funding will also be used to expand access to ARCC programming from 5 to 7 days a week," said Mental Health and Community Wellness Minister Janice Morley-Lecomte.
The 18-month pilot project responded to 882 incidents related to 530 different clients. It's being credited with freeing up police resources and reducing pressure on emergency rooms. The province said 91 per cent of clients were able to remain in the community after treatment.
Insp. Helen Peters said the success of the ARCC program proves that a collaborative, multi-agency approach can work. "It's about saving lives and bringing hope back to situations that might feel hopeless," she said.
Peters added that ARCC is available to anyone who needs it.
- With files from CTV’s Michelle Gerwing
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.