Local and area residents experiencing a mental health crisis in central Alberta now have more supports through the expansion of a community-based mobile crisis team.
The Regional Police and Crisis Team (RPACT) is a partnership between Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Alberta RCMP. The team is comprised of AHS mental health professor’s and Alberta RCMP officers, who will intervene, access, de-escalate, refer and follow up with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. A team is now based in Rocky Mountain House that will also serve residents of Blackfalds, Innisfail, Drayton Valley, Rimbey, Sundre and Sylvan Lake.
“As a former police officer, I know firsthand that it is essential to ensure that police have access to the resources they need to support Albertans who are struggling. This partnership will improve both community safety, and access to mental health and addiction care for Albertans,” says Mike Ellis, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
Staff Sergeant Colette Zazulak, who oversees Alberta RCMP Community Policing RPAT, says police are frequently the primary front line response to a mental health crisis.
“The collaborative approach of police working with mental health professionals provides a level of clinical expertise that benefits the individual in crisis,” says Zazulak. “The work of RPACT has already been underway for several years within the Alberta RCMP and we look forward to continuing our efforts and partnerships for effective mental health response within our communities.”
Carla Prediger, Director of Addition and Mental Health in AHS Central Zone, says RPACT offers a comprehensive approach to helping individuals in crisis. “The collaborative support provided by RPACT results in increased safety for all involved, and connects individuals to the appropriate resources for follow up mental health treatment,” says Prediger.
Mobilization of the RPACT team is determined through contacts to the local RCMP detachment and also through calls to 9-1-1.
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