'If you’re in cuffs you aren’t getting no help': Program teaming police with health professionals extended

Less than a year after launching as a pilot project, CTV News has learned that funding for London’s COAST team is being extended by its partner agencies until a permanent budget is secured.

The program that teams healthcare professionals with police officers to proactively address mental health calls is showing early success.

The Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) launched last April as a partnership between London Police Service, Middlesex-London Paramedic Services , St. Joseph’s Healthcare London, and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

The program helps individuals who routinely find themselves in mental health or addiction crisis deescalate a situation before a traditional police response in necessary.

“If you’re in cuffs, you aren’t getting no help,” says Paul, who spoke with CTV News while walking in the Old East Village.

Paul has spent time at the Mission Services shelter and says having frontline police officers respond to a mental health or addiction crisis should be the last resort.

“If (London) goes about things with a different route, it would be better for everybody,” he explains.

Councillor John Fyfe-Millar says the COAST team is recognition that some situations require a healthcare response rather than a traditional police response.

“We’ve allowed our homeless population to be rolled in with the same defining characteristics as criminals in our downtown core — and they’re not,” says Fyfe-Millar.

The role of the COAST team is primarily proactive.

Similar programs in other municipalities have decreased 911 calls, emergency rooms visits and benefited people who experience a crisis.

A report to city council highlights the early success in London.

Between April and November 2021, COAST was in contact with 713 different people.

A survey found:

• 41% would have otherwise called 911
• 88% would use COAST again
• 80% were satisfied/very satisfied with the response

Among people who call 911 more than five times per month, contact with COAST reduced their calls by 60 per cent, and 79 per cent did not call police or visit the hospital during the next three days.

Funding for the COAST team was set to expire March 31, but the partner agencies are extending the pilot project until permanent funding can be secured.

Fyfe-Millar believes the province has a financial role to play.

“We need to get the province to focus on these issues that we need addressed. We’ve got a great time to do it right now going into a provincial election,” he said.