family
members
who
have
experienced
the
issue
first-hand
and
have
a
pivotal
part
to
play
in
education.
"The
partnerships
and
communication
a
program
like
this
can
nurture,
where
all
the
local
players
listen
and
talk
to
each
other,
is
really
an
important
step
to
changing
practices
that
to
help
ensure
a
supportive
mental
health
emergency
response
system,"
says
Camia
Weaver,
Provincial
Coordinator
of
the
Mental
Health
and
Police
Project,
who
is
working
closely
with
the
original
six
and
the
three
new
communities.
"That's
not
only
helpful
for
people
with
mental
illness
and
their
family,
but
also
for
those
responding
to
mental
health
crisis."
The
Prince
George
program
builds
on
the
success
of
the
original
six
communities
that
completed
their
work
in
2005.
A
formal
third-party
evaluation
of
the
original
sites
showed
that
there
was
excellent
value
in
the
process
of
collaboration
and
communication.
Some
of
the
successes
from
the
early
sites
included
better
collaboration
between
police
and
ER
doctors
creation
of
info
cards'
with
important
mental
health
information-clinicians,
diagnosis,
medications,
contact
people-that
can
be
used
by
people
with
mental
illness
when
they're
unwell
and
unable
to
communicate.
delivery
of
presentations
for
community
and
first-responder
education
on
issues
around
first
response
to
mental
health
crisis
action
plans
being
implemented
in
most
locations
The
most
important
success
was
the
forging
and
strengthening
of
relationships
and
understanding
of
roles
among
key
agencies
and
committee
members.
"We
need
to
remember
that
this
project
looks
at
one
slice
in
the
pie,"
says
Mary
Lu.
"Effective
police
and
mental
health
system
collaboration
is
important,
but
people
with
mental
illness
need
a
broad
range
of
services
and
supports
to
help,
including
decent
and
affordable
housing,
24-hour
crisis
assistance,
and
follow-up
services.
Only
with
these
pieces
in
place
there
can
we
hope
to
reduce
the
number
of
mental
health
crises
that
require
the
intervention
of
police
and
other
first
responders."
The
original
BCMHAPP
project
was
made
possible
by
funding
from
the
Vancouver
Foundation
and
BC
Mental
Health
and
Addiction
Services,
an
agency
of
the
Provincial
Health
Services
Authority.
Phase
II
of
the
project
was
made
possible
through
additional
funding
from
BC
Mental
Health
and
Addictions
Services.
CMHA-BC
is
currently
seeking
funding
for
a
third
year
of
the
project.
19
College
of
New
Caledonia
-
Free
Forum