Community-Based Crisis Response Pilot Starting in West Hants

Nova Scotians in West Hants will have access to more mental health and addictions crisis support through a pilot that will offer community-led interventions.

The Province has signed a three-year contract with Peer Outreach Support Services & Education (POSSE) to develop and oversee a community-based mental health and addictions crisis response model pilot that will increase access to crisis supports.

“POSSE has the experience and skills to oversee this work,” said Brian Comer, Minister of Addictions and Mental Health. “There are times where people are having a mental health crisis and a response from law enforcement is not necessary. This pilot is an important step forward to ensure Nova Scotians have safe access to the right level of care in their communities.”

The pilot will have a soft launch this fall and move to full-scale operations early in 2025. Staff trained to safely respond to mental health and addictions crises will provide a wide variety of services both in person and virtually for non-violent situations such as:

• helping to de-escalate and stabilize a person in crisis
• substance-use intervention
• wellness checks
• connecting people to other services and supports once they are stabilized.

Response teams will include two community crisis responders from a mix of peer and clinical backgrounds, such as social workers and peer support workers. Teams will be available to dispatch 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Province is investing $3.7 million in the pilot program.

Quotes:

“POSSE applauds the Office of Addictions and Mental Health for their leadership in supporting Nova Scotia’s first 24/7 non-police, community-based mental health and substance use crisis response. This funding marks a significant investment in community care, destigmatizing and decriminalizing mental health and substance use crisis. This pilot will empower community members, including people with lived experience, to lead the way in providing a compassionate, trauma informed, safe and holistic response. Wela’lioq to the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre, Dr. Jamie Livingston and program developer Benjamin Dykeman for their leadership, wisdom and support in working toward a de-colonized system of crisis response. We look forward to continued meaningful collaborations with all of our community partners. By working together, we are creating a model of care that truly reflects the needs, values and wellbeing of community.”
— Kimm Kent, Director and co-founder, POSSE

“We’re continuously reinforcing the value and importance of informed dialogue with community leaders, partners, stakeholders and the public so that we can collectively work to create stronger, safer communities. West Hants RCMP actively contributed to the development of this crisis intervention and outreach program, which is an excellent example of what we can accomplish together.”
— Insp. Rob Jodrey, Acting District Policing Officer, Nova Scotia RCMP

Quick Facts:

• POSSE, which works with the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, launched in Windsor, Sipekne’katik and Sackville in 2019 as a harm-reduction and human rights-based, peer support training and outreach project
• opioid use disorder treatment services are available at 23 locations across the province
• the Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, toll-free: 1-888-429-8167

Additional Resources:

Mental health resources: https://novascotia.ca/mental-health-and-wellbeing/

Opioid recovery information: https://mha.nshealth.ca/en/services/opioid-recovery-program-orp

Out-patient recovery support centre information: https://mha.nshealth.ca/en/rsc