Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis

(c) Mutual Training and Education: how psychiatric facilities,
community mental health organizations, and the TPS can benefit
from mutual training and education;
(d)
(e)
(f)
Informing Policymakers: informing policymakers at all levels of
government, in the aim of making the mental health system more
comprehensive;
Advocacy: advocating more comprehensive and better-funded
community supports for people with mental illness. This would be a
multi-party initiative led by the mental health sector. It should
include, among other things, planning for community treatment
supports upon discharge from the hospital, and the creation of
more “safe beds” in shelters for people in crisis, to be used when
they do not meet the criteria for apprehension under the Mental
Health Act but need assistance to stabilize their crisis;
Reducing Emergency Department Wait Times: a standardized
approach to reducing emergency department wait times for police
officers bringing in a person in crisis and transferring care to the
hospital. Some relevant measures to be considered include:
i. developing a standard transfer of care protocol that
minimizes emergency department wait times, and across
Toronto’s 16 psychiatric emergency departments. This
protocol may build on existing efforts underway;
ii.
iii.
iv.
providing cross-sectoral training for officers and emergency
department staff about apprehensions under the Mental
Health Act and transfer of care;
ensuring adequate communication between officers and
emergency departments when en route with a person in
crisis to allow the emergency department to make necessary
preparations;
arranging a separate waiting area for police-accompanied
visitors to the emergency department;
v. having adequate staff to manage mental health crisis
situations in the emergency department;
vi.
vii.
designating a liaison in the emergency department to work
with police officers when they arrive with a person in crisis;
developing a protocol between police services and hospitals
that sets out specific procedures, expectations, and respect
for patient rights;
Police Encounters With People in Crisis |12