B.C. govt. announces new crisis team in Abbotsford to free up police

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Bluesky
• Share on X
• Copy Link

A MICR Team is a specialized mobile crisis response unit that partners a police officer with a mental-health professional to respond to mental-health police calls where an individual is in need of mental health or substance use crisis intervention or assistance. These teams are an expansion to other already successful Car-type programs and outreach programs in various communities across the province, now just under a new name.

Semi Fire

[VIDEO] Semi lights on fire on Highway 1 near Popkum

1h ago

Community Support

Research supports restorative justice nonprofit in Abbotsford

2h ago

Temporary Closures

Vedder Mountain Road closed for rock scaling work Tuesday

3h ago

The MICR Teams will provide an enhanced and collaborative police and mental-health care taker response intended to bring mental-health expertise, training and input to improving public safety.

By amalgamating police response with specialized mental health crisis workers concentrating on mental health and addiction, MICR Teams will serve the community by providing more outreach coverage throughout each city and more subject matter expertise to crisis response and intervention to those in need while reducing the need for frontline police response, says Assistant Commissioner Maureen Levy, BC RCMP Lower Mainland District Commander.

It’s important that people in crisis due to mental-health challenges are met with compassion and appropriate care, said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. The new Mobile Integrated Crisis Response Teams in Abbotsford, Burnaby, Chilliwack, and Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam, take a holistic, health-care approach to caring for people in their most vulnerable time and connect people to the emergency and long-term supports they need to find a pathway to wellbeing.

When a person is experiencing a mental health crisis, they need timely, supportive and compassionate care, said Natalie McCarthy, Vice President, Regional Care Integration, Fraser Health. With the launch of our new Mobile Integrated Crisis Response teams, specialized psychiatric nurses will work with law enforcement in a critical partnership to ensure people who need support during a mental health crisis get the help they need sooner and get connected to ongoing care that will place them on a path toward wellness.

The MICR Team will be dispatched as a secondary responder to 911 calls where a person is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis and could benefit from outreach from a skilled mental health care provider. Each team is staffed and have completed various training as part of the quick response to the implementation plan to address mental health needs in these communities.

The overarching responsibility of this team and partner agencies is to develop integrated strategies to address mental health related calls and personal crisis in an inclusive manner. This is achieved through a combination of community engagement, building strong relationships with mental health clients and partners, and collaborative problem solving that is sustainable and effective for the greater common goal of public safety by all partners involved.

The crisis response teams include health-care workers who can provide immediate support and mental-health assessments to those in crisis and connect people with local resources for ongoing help. This initiative, a collaboration between local law enforcement and health services, strengthens community safety by ensuring a rapid, care-focused response to mental-health emergencies, while allowing police to focus on crime.

Natalie McCarthy, vice-president of regional care integration, Fraser Health, said: “Though a mental-health crisis can have a devastating impact on a person, when they are supported with compassion and respect it can make a significant difference in their recovery. With the launch of our Mobile Integrated Crisis Response teams, we are working alongside law-enforcement partners to foster important connections between people who need timely care and the vital supports and community services that will help restore their well-being and recovery.”