Police-social agency pilot project targeting mental health issues falls short

In a year it only received 240 calls, said Alex CEO Joy Bowen-Eyre, even after it had expanded from one police district to city-wide coverage

A one-year pilot project teaming city police and social workers to help address Calgary’s mental health problems failed to gain much traction, says one of its participants.

The community mobile crisis response pilot that wrapped up last April received mental distress calls from 911 dispatchers and sent crisis teams consisting of two specialized support workers employed by The Alex Community Health Centre and a non-uniformed police officer to assist callers.