Mental health clinicians support police officers

Const. Tara Oliver and crisis clinician Devon Mackie are part of the Mental Health Engagement and Response Team to assist individuals in a mental health crisis. There are five crisis clinicians from the Canadian Mental Health Association working with police in Oxford County. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

A growing number of police calls involving people with mental health issues has resulted in the formation of a mental health response team.

The Mental Health Engagement and Response Team (MHEART) started in 2018 as a partnership between the OPP and local mental health service providers. At the time, it was recognized that traditional policing alone wasn’t always the most effective or safest way to respond to individuals in crisis.

“The goal was to bring clinical expertise directly into the field so that people in crisis receive the right care at the right time,” said Const. Tara Oliver, community mobilization officer and crisis negotiator.

Locally, there is a team of five mental health clinicians in Oxford County split between two OPP detachments and Woodstock Police Service. Oxford OPP has two dedicated officers assigned to the mental health response program, but road officers can be assigned with a clinician on a daily case-by-case basis.

While some may assume the increase in the number of unhoused people was a factor in the start of the program, Oliver said that’s not the case, and it was the increasing number of calls with a mental health component.

“While homelessness is one factor that increases vulnerability, the program wasn’t created for any single population,” she said. “It was driven by a broader recognition that mental-health-related calls were increasing across communities, and that a collaborative, health-focused response leads to better outcomes for everyone. That said, individuals experiencing homelessness often face complex mental health challenges, and our team is equipped to support them with compassion and appropriate referrals.”

Mental health police officers have enhanced training to deal with calls with mental health issues. This training includes crisis intervention, de-escalation techniques, and suicide risk assessment. This training is often delivered directly by mental health professionals, and includes direct training with the clinicians to ensure both know each other’s roles.

A two-day workshop designed for officers and mental health crisis workers in 2025.

“This training reviewed Mental Crisis Response Teams policies and involved scenario discussions to support Mental Crisis Response teams in operationalizing those policies,” Oliver said.

When calls are dispatched where a mental health worker is needed, both a worker and OPP officer are dispatched. The type of calls where the MHEART team is dispatched can vary from potential suicides and family issues to calls dealing with substance abuse and the unhoused in the community.

Oliver explained the officer’s role is to provide support, safety, and de-escalation, while the clinician provides mental health expertise.

“Together, they can make decisions that are more informed, less intrusive, and more person-centered than a traditional police-only response,” she explained.

This approach results in a shift in the tone of the interaction.

“It may seem less intense when people are talking to a clinician instead of a police officer,” she said. “We want someone's crisis day to become a better day because of how we managed their crisis.”

Oliver noted there has been a decrease in the number of calls even though the unhoused population has increased. She attributes part of that to the teamwork.

The clinician role

Clinicians are funded through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), and undergo training in crisis intervention, social analysis, and supporting individuals in crisis, as well as knowledge of mental health disorders.

They wear a vest for safety, but don’t have the handcuffs, pepper spray and firearm a police officer carry.

Crisis clinician Devon Mackie worked in the CMHA office before being assigned to the MHEART role. He noted the team can go to areas where the unhoused are located, provide necessities and inform them about the programs that are out there. By doing this, he said it breaks the ice and allows a point of contact if a person is seeking help.

Since the clinicians have started working in Oxford, there have been fewer repeat crisis calls and improved public safety. After answering hundreds of calls, 85 per cent result in the situation being defused so no one is apprehended in police custody or taken to the hospital, while safety is established.

“Whatever is going on in a person’s life is a crisis for them at the time,” Oliver said, “We have to put the pieces together for them.”

She added that people often come in later and thank the officers.

“That to me shows the combined response is working when you get positive feedback from the community.”

If the call was about someone who needs to be taken to the hospital, the mental health workers have the training to explain the issue to medical personnel better.

“We’re part of the process if someone is apprehended and present the case to the emergency physician,” Mackie explained.

Making a difference

Oliver and Mackie are seeing a difference in mental health-related calls.

“There has been a reduction in unnecessary apprehensions, fewer repeat crisis calls, and more people being connected to community supports instead of entering the justice system,” she said.

Statistics from across the province back this up with a 30 per cent decline in the number of individuals being apprehended when mental health teams are being used. There is also an increase in the number of individuals being admitted to hospital following an apprehension.

“We’ve also seen improved safety for the public, officers and individuals in crisis,” Oliver said. “Perhaps, most importantly, the feedback from families, service providers and community members has been overwhelmingly positive.”