By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
A new two-year pilot project to address addiction concerns is hitting the streets in Chatham-Kent.
Dubbed MART, which stands for Mobile Addictions Response Team, the initiative is a partnership between the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and the Chatham-Kent Police Service.
The MART collaboration will see a plain-clothes officer and an CKHA addictions therapist attend calls involving mental health and addiction concerns within the community.
Providing a rapid response to addiction-related concerns is MART’s goal.
“The idea is to be proactive and take an upstream approach to both mental health and addiction,” said CKPS Insp. Mike Thompson, noting the new team mirrors the CKPS Mobile Crisis Team that’s been operating successfully for 10 years. The crisis team is designed primarily to handle incidents involving mental health.
“Both programs work in tandem with each other,” Thompson said. “We know that both mental health and addiction are conjoined, so that is why we have modelled the new program off the established and successful Mobile Crisis team. Both teams will support each other, focusing on wellness, recovery and support, not necessarily enforcement.”
CKPS Chief Kirk Earley echoed Thompson.
“As a community, we continue to see the impact that addiction and mental health have on individuals, families and neighbourhoods across Chatham-Kent,” Earley said in a news release. “By partnering with the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, we are able to bring together front-line policing and specialized clinical support in a way that provides timely intervention, compassionate care and meaningful pathways to treatment.”
From a health-care perspective, CKHA emphasizes the importance of meeting people where they are and reducing barriers to care.
“At Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, we recognize that addiction is a complex health issue that requires compassion, trust, and strong partnerships,” said Caen Suni, CKHA’s 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 program is being funded through the province’s Mobile Crisis Response Team Enhancement Grant. The CKPS has received $240,000 to fund the project for the initial two years.
