By: Matt Weigarden, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
The Chatham-Kent Police Service and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance have announced a new pilot program aimed at providing immediate support to people struggling with mental health and addiction.
The Mobile Addictions Response Team, funded through Ontario’s Mobile Crisis Response Team Enhancement Grant, will operate for two years as part of a collaborative effort to address the growing impact of addiction in the community.
The team pairs a plain-clothes police officer with an addictions therapist from CKHA’s Rapid Access Addictions Medicine Clinic, following the model of the existing Mobile Crisis Response Team. The partnership is designed to ensure individuals receive both timely intervention and clinical expertise during addiction-related crises.
“As a community, we continue to see the impact that addiction and mental health have on individuals, families and neighbourhoods across Chatham-Kent,” said Chief Kirk Earley of CKPS. “The launch of the Mobile Addictions Response Team represents an important step forward in how we respond to these challenges.”
The program will respond to calls involving addiction-related issues, provide follow-up visits to maintain connections to treatment, and work with local organizations to build a broader support network.
“At Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, we recognize that addiction is a complex health issue that requires compassion, trust and strong partnerships,” said Caen Suni, vice-president of clinical programs and operations. “Through this program, we are bringing care directly into the community, improving access to timely support and reinforcing our commitment to putting people at the centre of everything we do.”
The initiative is supported through provincial funding to strengthen mobile crisis response teams across Ontario. Both CKPS and CKHA say the program will help reduce harm, support vulnerable residents and improve community safety.
