Calls to defund the police over reports of police brutality, bad calls when responding to mental health crises and claims of patriarchy have been loud and constant in recent months.
Crisis Intervention Specialist with the Canadian Mental Health Association’s COAST crisis line, Samantha Falcone, explains that that their mobile team works very closely with the Halton Police to respond to crisis calls.
Their team consists of police officers who are trained in mental health and are dedicated to responding to crisis calls.
When she hears about calls gone wrong, she asks herself, “where was the crisis team?”
COAST triages every call that comes in because of Halton’s large population.
Falcone explains that triages are based off circumstance and acuity.
She lists the questions she asks to determine if a call is iminent.
She explains the process of getting the help one needs if she determines it’s an imminent call.
If you contact COAST and they determine a call doesn’t need an imminent response based off these answers, they will come up with a plan that will determine if police are needed, if they can stabilize the situation over the phone or if a face to face interaction is necessary.
Falcone says meeting the demand for crisis support in a region as large as Halton can be challenging at times.
She says if you are in a mental health emergency to call COAST.
Falcone says that you can also call 9-1-1 and they will help determine the next course of action.
COAST’s Crisis Line is 1-877-825-9011
