SERVICE AGREEMENT:
Between
Interior Health Authority
And
The Royal Mounted Police (RCMP), Williams Lake Detachment
Purpose:
To define the partnership between the Interior Health Authority and the Williams Lake
Detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in response to emergencies and
other situations involving individuals with mental illnesses who are in crisis or who are in need
of police support.
Under the terms of this agreement, Interior Health will provide the following services to
the RCMP via the Community Mental Health & Addictions Team:
1.
Respond to the situations, when feasible, where the attending RCMP officer believes the
individual involved is in crisis. (“Any emergency that is an acute clinical situation that
usually requires some form of immediate medical intervention to prevent harm to self or
others”.)
2.
Telephone consultation with community mental health if the police officer is in doubt of
the disposition of an individual.
3.
On-site clinical assistance and mental health & addictions assessment of an individual
when requested.
4.
Investigation and assessment of client situation and determination of client’s cognitive
abilities.
5.
Consultation and support for referral to appropriate follow-up services; referral may
include the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and/or Mental Health &
Addictions Team and/or other community services.
6.
Release of information to the RCMP where knowledge of a client’s history of violence is
critical to the safety of others.
Under the terms of this agreement, the RCMP will provide the following services:
1. To protect life and property, preserve the peace and enforce the law generally. There is
no specific authority under the Mental Health Act for police to assist hospital staff who
are conducting an examination or providing treatment to a patient.
2. To give highest priority responses to situations where any staff advises the RCMP that its
staff or clients are being assaulted or are at imminent risk of assault or harm (e.g. weapon
threat, bomb threat, bioterrorism). Call 911.
3. To attend at situations and to share knowledge of an individual’s history of violence
where critical to the safety of others.
4. To give information or consultation for non-urgent matters, when pre-arranged
attendance is required, through the Watch Commander of the day.
5. Attending to clients in the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Emergency Department until the
situation and the client are deemed to be safe as assessed by a physician, when the client
is apprehended under Section 28 of the Mental Health Act and other situations as
required.
6. To provide education and consultation to Cariboo Memorial Hospital Emergency
Department regarding Criminal Code offences.
7. To provide police file numbers to Cariboo Memorial Hospital Emergency Department
when requested.
Under the terms of this agreement, it is recognized that:
1. Cariboo Memorial Hospital Emergency Department is not a designated psychiatric unit
but in emergencies when a patient has one certificate or when no certificate has been
signed but when the person is a serious risk to the health or safety of themselves or
others, they can be detained and restrained until such time as transportation to Royal
Inland Hospital can take place. Since Cariboo Memorial is not designated under the
Mental Health Act, this time period needs to be as short as possible and regular
documentation of efforts to transport the patient must take place.
2. Although the Mental Health Act provides no clear direction advising when police can
leave after bringing a person with an apparent mental disorder to the hospital, the hospital
recognizes the demand for police services and will accept responsibility for the patient as
quickly as possible.
3. The RCMP have roles under the Mental Health Act that require them to apprehend and
transport a person with an apparent mental disorder to a physician for an examination.
4. The RCMP recognizes that the decision to certify a person is made by the doctor after
he/she has examined the person. A person will not be automatically certified unless the
physician believes that all criteria under the Mental Health Act are met.
5. The RCMP Operation’s NCO is called for sensitive needs, complaints and concerns.
6. In less urgent situations, both parties will attempt to respond to requests for assistance as
soon as reasonable possible. Both parties agree that the dispute resolution process for
concerns and/or discrepancies will begin with the Health Services Administrator and the
RCMP commanding officer.
Allison Ruault _____________________
Community Administrator, Cariboo
Interior Health
Date _________________
Grant Martin______________________________
NCO In Charge RCMP Williams Lake Detachment
Date_________________
Jocelyn Wood____________________________
Assistant Manager, Interior Health Community Mental Health,
Cariboo
Date____________________