Chilliwack – People in a mental-health or substance-use crisis will have the support of experts as new mobile, integrated-response teams are coming to nine communities throughout the province.
To help people in crisis and to free up police resources to focus on crime, the Province is expanding Mobile Integrated Crisis Response (MICR) Teams (also known as Car programs) to Abbotsford, Port Coquitlam/Coquitlam, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Penticton, Vernon, Squamish, Prince Rupert and the Westshore.
The announcement was made at Chilliwack City Hall.
MICR Teams are specialized crisis-response teams that pair a police officer with a health-care professional to respond to mental-health calls made to the police. Teams provide on-site emotional and mental-health assessments, crisis intervention and referrals to appropriate services in the community. Built on partnerships between municipal police departments or local RCMP detachments and the regional health authorities, these teams help free up police resources to focus on crime.
Some in the recovery community have told FVN that while the mobile units are a great resource, but what is needed are treatment facilities in Chilliwack similar to what Abbotsford has. Kinghaven (for men) and Peardonville(for women).
Chilliwack MLA Dan Coulter -“Mobile Integrated Crisis Response Teams are a vital resource that will help many people in mental-health and substance-use crisis. Not only that, but these teams will help connect people in crisis to the supports they need to not only survive, but thrive.”
