Kimberley RCMP is looking for a mental health care clinician to partner with the local detachment after 37 mental health-related calls were reported in the last three months.
Sgt. Steeve Woodcox said the addition of a mental health care worker to the force would enable a better response from the RCMP.
“We would just like to be proactive and work with our partners in Interior Health and go visit these clients on a regular basis to see how they’re doing and have someone there who has the expertise,” explained Woodcox. “We would like for them to get the help they need on a regular basis before it turns into some kind of emergency situation.”
So far, talks with Interior Health have shown some positive results.
“We’re just in the planning stages, but it does look like something may be organized in the near future. Hopefully in the next few weeks,” said Woodcox. “We’re just trying to formulate a plan that would work best for them and for us.”
Woodcox said the detachment is hoping to partner with a mental health care professional sooner rather than later.
“We’re not the experts, but we want to bring the experts and the people who have the resources on board. I’m hopeful this will happen within the next month, I’m even more hopeful that it’ll happen within the next couple of weeks.”
