Winnipeg mayor calls for fourth emergency service focused on mental health

Winnipeg’s mayor is looking to create a fourth emergency service that would respond to mental health calls and wouldn’t require police.

Scott Gillingham said the "specialized mental health teams" would be funded by the provincial government and dispatched by the city, similar to paramedics.

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"It's very important that when someone calls 911, that we as a community, as a city, get them the right response, get them the very response that they need for the crisis that they're in," Gillingham told CTV News in an interview Saturday. "Sometimes they need a police officer, sometimes they need a firefighter or a paramedic, but sometimes they need a fourth service, and that would be a mental health service specifically for their needs."

Gillingham said the new service could provide better support for people in crisis while allowing police to focus their resources on other critical safety priorities.

At the beginning of the year, former police chief Danny Smyth said officers conducted 21,000 wellness checks in 2023.

The city said wellness check calls have increased by 40 per cent over five years, quickly becoming the number one call for service.

The mayor said the new emergency service would vary from the city's current alternative response to citizens in crisis, or ARCC, team, and that either entity would respond based on the call at hand.

"I still think that agency, the ARCC team, would still be needed because there are moments when, if there's a security situation, a bit of a safety concern," Gillingham said.

In a statement to CTV News, Manitoba's minister responsible for housing, addictions and homelessness Bernadette Smith said the province acknowledges the need for an appropriate emergency response for those dealing with mental health challenges.

"We are already coordinating resources with the City of Winnipeg and community groups in ensuring that we are dealing with mental health challenges with dignity and compassion," Smith said. 

Smith also pointed to the provincial government's financial support for ARCC, as well as community groups, including SABE Peacewalkers, the Bear Clan and Downtown Community Safety Partnership (DCSP).

Gillingham said the fourth service could be a partnership with DCSP, the Canadian Mental Health Association in Winnipeg, or other organizations.

"The point is, these individuals have to be trained to respond to this need," he said. "So it's yet to be determined who that entity would be. It's too soon to say."