City of Calgary, United Way partner to help co-ordinate supports for Calgarians in crisis – Calgary | Globalnews.ca
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The City of Calgary is partnering with local agencies to help Calgarians in crisis.
On Thursday, the city announced the creation of Action Table Calgary (ATC), a partnership between the city, Calgary police and the United Way, with the goal of co-ordinating support services for Calgarians with multiple risk factors who urgently need help within a 24- to 48-hour time frame.
“Addressing the complex needs of Calgarians requires collaboration and that is why we’re excited about the integrated, wraparound approach to care offered through this project,” said Stephanie Undershute, with Community Safety Initiatives, Community Strategies at the City of Calgary.
The city said the ATC will meet weekly to “address cases of elevated risk in the community.” Representative with local agencies including justice, social services, health care, education, government, child and youth services, mental health, addictions and housing will work together to co-ordinate community supports.
“At each table, agencies agree that intervention is beneficial, identify suitable services they can provide, and create an immediate action plan to reduce risk for that individual or family,” the city said.
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The City of Calgary’s Community Safety Investment Framework (CSIF) defines a person in crisis as someone “in need of urgent support due to mental or emotional distress, conflict, or a threat to their safety.” The city said immediate crisis response with resources is what is required by the individual experiencing a crisis, their families, friends and support networks.
“We believe Action Table Calgary will be successful in ensuring timely and co-ordinated solutions for people experiencing the most complex social issues,” said Susan Brooke, with the United Way of Calgary and Area.
In a news release, the City of Calgary highlighted a 2020 report by PolicyWise for Children & Families and the Centre for Suicide Prevention which showed “the need to improve support for Calgarians experiencing crises related to mental health concerns, addictions and similar challenges. Recommendations included strengthening the system, addressing gaps and improving quality of care. ATC is a positive step toward fulfilling those recommendations.”
A spokesperson for the Calgary Police Service said a pilot program involving police began in January and will continue to the end of the year.
“During the pilot phase, we are working to build a strong table with partnerships that cover a wide range of sectors to address the complex issues that Calgarians face,” said Asif Rashid, superintendent, with the Strategic Partnerships Division of the Calgary Police Service.
The ATC model is based on a similar program already in use in Toronto, which Calgary police said has led to less police interaction and better co-ordination of response services for those in crisis.
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