A pair of local organizations are teaming up to better support those battling addictions.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) have launched a new pilot project, designed to enhance community support for individuals facing mental health and addiction challenges.
The Mobile Addictions Response Team will consist of a plain-clothes police officer and an Addictions Therapist from the Health Alliance’s Rapid Access Addictions Medicine Clinic. Officials say the team will respond to calls for service involving mental health and addiction issues, ensuring that individuals receive timely care, support, and follow-up visits.
“As a community, we continue to see the impact that addiction and mental health have on individuals, families and neighbourhoods across Chatham-Kent,” said CKPS Chief Kirk Early in a news release. “The launch of the Mobile Addictions Response Team represents an important step forward in how we respond to these challenges. By partnering with the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, we are able to bring together frontline policing and specialized clinical support in a way that provides timely intervention, compassionate care and meaningful pathways to treatment.”
From a health care perspective, CKHA emphasizes the importance of meeting people where they are and reducing barriers to care.
“At Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, we recognize that addiction is a complex health issue that requires compassion, trust, and strong partnerships,” said Caen Suni, CKHA’s Vice President of Clinical Programs and Operations. “Through this program, we are bringing care directly into the community, improving access to timely support, and reinforcing our commitment to putting people at the centre of everything we do.”
Chatham-Kent Police received $240,000 through the province’s Mobile Crisis Response Team Enhancement Grant last September, which will be used to fund the project for the next two years.
