British Columbia
Vancouver
In 2012, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) became part of Vancouver’s first Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team, a multidisciplinary team created specifically to deliver services to severely addicted clients with mental health issues who are frequent users of emergency services. An ACT Team is usually comprised of 10–12 service providers, including psychiatrists, nurses and addiction counsellors. This collaboration is unique in that police are not traditionally part of the ACT service delivery model.
ACT Teams emphasize recovery through community treatment and rehabilitation. They provide a customized array of services to keep clients out of the hospital and away from the criminal justice system. Specifically on the law enforcement side, ACT Teams strive to reduce the number of contacts between police and severely addicted clients with mental health issues.
VPD Mental Health Unit
Howard Tranhoward.tran@vpd.ca
N/A
The Vancouver ACT program started in 2011. VPD became involved in 2012.
The main objective of the program is to provide better care to those who suffer from significant mental illness and substance abuse problems who are frequent users of emergency services. The ACT program was also intended to reduce the drain on emergency resources caused by untreated mental illness. Starting in 2007, VPD officers started noticing an increase in the number of calls for service which involved people with mental illness. The majority of these calls involved public disorder (such as aggressive panhandling, minor property damage and disturbing behaviour) but there were also significant incidents involving random violence and a number of suicides. A field study conducted in 2007 showed that roughly 30% of all police calls involved someone suffering from a mental health issue; and it was estimated that handling these calls required the equivalent of 90 full-time patrol officers. The amount of full-time VPD resources dedicated to the "policing" of mental illness has increased dramatically in the last decade. In the 1990s, the VPD had only 1.5 full-time employees assigned to deal with clients suffering from mental illness and addiction. By 2013, this number had increased to more than 17 full-time employees. Recent data shows that 23-25% of all police incident reports contain a mental health component.
Three ACT Teams currently work in Vancouver and there are plans to create two more teams in 2014. Each team is estimated to cost between $1.4 and $1.6 million, including housing subsidies. This does not include the in-kind services provided by the VPD.In October 2012, the VPD formalized the Mental Health Unit. The unit has a mandate to work with the regional health authority, Vancouver Coastal Health, and lead the department’s efforts in dealing with Vancouver clients who are mentally ill. Within the VPD, two full-time ACT liaison officers at the constable rank are responsible for working with all three ACT Teams on a rotating basis. One VPD sergeant oversees the program on behalf of VPD. One full-time civilian crime analyst provides analytical services and monitors trends in support of the program. The total staff costs for VPD are estimated at $400,000 per year.
The ACT program was funded by Vancouver Coastal Health and supplemented by external sources of funding, including private donations. The inclusion of police officers in ACT Teams was inspired by the Victoria Integrated Community Outreach Team on Vancouver Island.
A recent sampling of 32 ACT Team clients showed that negative police contacts were down by 50% compared to one year prior to intake. This study cohort also experienced a 23% reduction in victimization and 70% reduction in non-urgent emergency department visits. At present, the ACT Teams are almost at full capacity. Given the success of the program, both the VPD and Vancouver Coastal Health are exploring funding options to expand the program and create additional capacity. There are two more teams planned for 2014.
Yes
For the VPD, the main public relations activities consisted of press releases and media interviews (for example, http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Vancouver+police+mental+health+team+tries+stop+revolving+door+arrest+treatment/8297078/story.html). The ACT program was also featured as part of several conference presentations.A series of reports on policing the mentally ill was also published by the VPD: 1) Vancouver's Mental Health Crisis (http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/mental-health-crisis.pdf). 2) Lost in Transition (http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/vpd-lost-in-transition.pdf).3) Lost in Transition—Part Two (http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/vpd-lost-in-transition-part-2-draft.pdf). An extensive media package is currently being drafted by Vancouver Coastal Health.
No
Anecdotally, the vast majority of clients experience improved quality of life thanks to their association with the ACT Teams. One female client was homeless and banned from several shelters in Vancouver. A poly-substance user with a high-risk lifestyle, she also grappled with frequent periods of delusion, making her a regular hospital visitor. She was also considered one of the VPD’s top five referrals based on her frequent contacts with police. Since her association with ACT, she has turned her life around. Her contacts with police have dropped significantly. Her hospital visits and acute care bed days are also reduced. She has been able to maintain her housing and is in a steady relationship. Most impressively, she is now employed by a major grocery store chain and has recently been selected for a supervisory role.
Police agencies are not part of the typical ACT service delivery model. This makes the Vancouver ACT Team unique.
2015-03-01