A tool to help police responding to mental health related calls launched in the Northeast last month, including in Tumbler Ridge.
The “evidence-based, risk-screening tool” is designed to support police responses with mental-health-related calls. It is currently being used in the province in places like Victoria, Delta, Surrey and Prince George, as well as across the country in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
“Across participating jurisdictions, hospital admission rates increased by 37 percent,” says a release from the government, “indicating people were more likely to receive appropriate, timely care.”
The tool is a digital public-safety system, designed to improve emergency police response in mental-health and addiction crisis situations, increasing safety for first responders, health-care providers and the person in crisis. “By facilitating better communication, HealthIM aims to help officers gain insight into the factors behind a person’s behaviour, leading to more informed and compassionate interactions,” says the release.
“HealthIM has proven to be a valuable asset to help police officers safely and effectively de-escalate complex situations by promoting safer interactions with people in crisis,” says Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Our government will continue to make meaningful investments to support law enforcement in responding to a mental-health or substance-use emergency as the program rolls out provincewide this year.”
In Prince George, where the program has been in use since late 2022, the RCMP has seen significant and measurable outcomes. For instance, in its first year of implementation, the detachment reported a 42 percent reduction in apprehensions, driven by enhanced call assessments that supported more informed, evidence-based decision-making. By the start of 2025, apprehensions decreased from 494 to 288, reflecting a successful shift from custody to hospital admissions and other supports for those experiencing a crisis.
In addition to Tumbler Ridge, HealthIM will be used by RCMP detachments from 100 Mile House to Fort Nelson, and from Vanderhoof to Dawson Creek, as well as by BC Highway Patrol in Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, 100 Mile House, Northern Rockies, Prince George, Quesnel/Wells and Williams Lake.
At the heart of the system is a series of questions designed to help facilitate a better assessment of the person in crisis. The system also improves communication with health-care partners by using consistent clinical language and provides critical information to doctors and nurses immediately.
The program also helps assess the person’s risk of harm to self or others, which helps determine the best way a person can receive help. It also will help officers de-escalate situations by providing trauma-informed responses while protecting health-care workers by looking at a person’s history of weapon possession and/or violent behaviour
“People experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis deserve compassionate, timely and co-ordinated care,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “HealthIM helps support more trauma-informed responses by strengthening communication between police and health-care teams. This leads to better continuity of care throughout northern BC, helping connect people to the supports they need, when they need them most.”
The BC Government is helping fund the rollout of the program to municipal police departments and RCMP detatchements, to the tune of $2 million annually.
“Every person experiencing a mental-health crisis deserves a response grounded in compassion, informed decision-making and access to appropriate care, regardless of where they live,” said Deputy Chief Const. Andrew Chan, president of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police. “Expanding HealthIM into northern British Columbia reflects what is possible when policing, health care and government work together toward a shared goal. This milestone brings us another step closer to a co-ordinated, provincewide approach that supports front-line professionals and improves outcomes for individuals, families and communities.”
Superintendent Keny Floyd, North District Commander, BC RCMP says that the Prince George trial has been quite successful. “We have seen first-hand how the HealthIM model improves efficiency, keeps officers focused on front-line policing and strengthens collaboration with our health partners. In Prince George, apprehensions decreased by 42% with one year of the model being introduced. Bringing this program to the North District marks an important step forward in delivering the right response for individuals in crisis, while ensuring our officers remain available in the communities they serve.”
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
