Today marks the end of our series on the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) in Haliburton County.
And while much of the series shares the success of the partnership – between Ontario Provincial Police, the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge (CMHA HKPR) and community partners – we cannot sign off without talking about the challenges and threats to the program.
The first is staffing. The reason the OPP portion of the program was delayed for years was insufficient staffing at the Minden OPP station. While there is now a full-time, permanent officer in the role, that can change. Same with the CMHA HKPR. Staff come and go. Leaves of absence are common. For this project to continue to succeed, it cannot be one or two personalities tasked with its success. It must continue with a dedicated person in perpetuity. In other words, if Const. Joel Imbeau is reassigned, or becomes burned out, there has to be a plan to replace him. Same with the CMHA mental health worker.
The second is funding. While we know CMHA has annual funding for the MCRT, we do not know if it will remain in place forever. And it does not appear that the OPP has a pot of money when emergencies pop up. That became patently aware when Imbeau organized the Eric Nystedt Memorial Golf Tournament so he could raise money to give back to community partners that assist him on a regular basis.
The third is long waiting lists for people with mental health issues or addictions to get help. We’ve heard youth can wait seven to eight months to be seen. There are months-long waits for mental health, addiction and rehabilitation facilities.
Another major issue in our area is transportation. The only bus service that used to run between Haliburton and the Greater Toronto Area is no longer operating. In some cases, OPP officers have to drive clients out of town for services. I heard a recent story of an OPP officer driving a client to Orillia to get them on a bus to a treatment centre. In other instances, they have to rely on lengthy and expensive taxi rides. It could take hours for that trip to happen, when a person is in crisis.
And, while we do have the YWCA emergency shelter in Minden, it is for women and children fleeing abuse.
People in crisis, or facing homelessness, are looking at long commutes to out-of-town services. If a tenant is evicted, for example, the closest short-term homeless shelter is A Place Called Home in Lindsay.
And through it all runs a red ribbon of provincial government bureaucracy, or a lack of funding. It is disheartening to see the MCRT have to go begging cap-in-hand to community churches, food banks, heat banks and others. It is unconscionable that it can take weeks and months to get some clients properly supported.
While the program has seen many wins, there have also been disappointments. Some people do not consent to getting help. There have been suicides. Further, we have more people living in the Highlands and there have been more calls for service for all EMS, police, fire and ambulance. And the cases are just getting more and more complex. Addiction and mental health issues have remained high post-COVID.
Perhaps the biggest challenge is stigma. But we hope that a few people in the community have read this series, and, so, when an OPP officer and CMHA HKPR mental health worker show up at your door – don’t be afraid to give consent to get the help you need.
