Ottawa Police Service Mental Health Unit

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Mental Health Unit
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Increase in MHA occurrences

• Reduction of mental health institutions, focus
  shifting to community based treatment.
• Need for police to be better trained and have
  better supports in area of mental health.
• Bill 68 (Brians Law) enacted in 2000 has
  increased police authority to apprehend persons
  with mental illnesses.
• These factors along with increased population
  growth has led to increases in total Mental
  Health incidents the Ottawa Police Service
  responds to.

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Police Apprehensions

• Total apprehensions and forms
• 2002 - 436 Forms 1 2 Apprehensions
• - 473 Section 17 Apprehensions
• 2003 - 491 Forms 1 2 Apprehensions
• - 619 Section 17 Apprehensions
• 2004 (projected figures based on statistics
  received as of October 15, 2004.)
• - 493 Forms 1 2 Apprehensions
• - 788 Section 17 Apprehensions

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Total MHA occurrences

• Total MHA occurrences included all apprehensions
  and calls recorded with a MHA designation in OPS
  database.
• There are other occurrences that have not been
  recorded with such a designation as they had
  other or multiple designations.
• The total calls are
• 2002 2861
• 2003 3455
• 2004 3740 ( projected on statistics
  received as of October 15 2004)

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Unit Overview

• Part of Criminal Investigative Services (CIS)
• Complement
• 1 Sergeant Adult Missing Persons
• 5 Detectives
• Hours of service 0700-0200 hrs 7 days
• 236-1222 ext 5115 or via pagers through
  Communication Centre

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Mandate

• To provide crisis intervention in conjunction
  with the Ottawa Hospital Mobile Crisis Team.
• Link individuals with available community
  resources and support systems to prevent further
  crisis.

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Mandate contd.

• Follow-up police MHA reports.
• Provide education and training to concerned
  groups and agencies
• Management of MHA forms and NCR individuals in
  Ottawa.

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Goals

• To reduce the number of calls for police.
• Free up police resources involved in
  apprehensions
• Prevent and de-escalate individuals experiencing
  a mental health crisis.

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Daily Functions

• Liaise and work in partnership with TOH MCT.
• Review police mental health calls, and follow up
  as necessary.
• Perform mobile response in conjunction with the
  MCT, patrol officers, or other OPS sections.

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Other functions

• Work with concerned community agencies ie.
  ( Mental Health Court, Alzheimer Society)
• Deliver MHA training and education to OPS,
  community agencies, and other police services.
  (APT, RCMP )

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Criminal charges.

• OPS policy No 10.07
• Behaviour of mentally ill persons may be the
  result of their illness rather than criminal
  intent.
• To this end the unit will strive to provide
  assistance to individuals, rather than proceeding
  with criminal charges where appropriate.

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Criminal charges contd.
OPTIONS

• referral to services and other community
  based agencies, voluntary hospitalization.
• apprehensions under Section 17 of the MHA, if no
  violence is involved and charges are warranted.

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Criminal charges contd.

• Efforts will be made to act in the best interest
  of the community and MHA subject
• To date, there have been few incidents in which
  the unit has had to lay charges or make criminal
  arrests.

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Confidentiality

• Information sharing with the MCT is conducted
  under very strict guidelines.
• Only relevant info necessary for a proper follow
  up is disclosed.

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Confidentiality contd.

• Calls generated through the MCT are not entered
  on the police database.

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Future direction.

• develop and maintain mutually satisfying
  partnerships with community agencies and service
  providers.
• Increase visibility and utilization within OPS
  and City of Ottawa.
• Following OPS mission, vision and values, to
  establish OPS as a leader in service delivery
  within the community.

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Thank you