UVic report says police integration benefits vulnerable populations

UVic report says police integration benefits vulnerable populations
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VicPD Constable Sue Hamilton, an ACT officer, speaking with an ACT client. Photo courtesy UVIC/Victoria police department.

VicPD Constable Sue Hamilton, an ACT officer, speaking with an ACT client. Photo courtesy UVIC/Victoria police department.

A new report says the presence of police on Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams are having success integrating into health care in Victoria for the program’s clients.

The ACT program, which launched in Ontario in the 1990s, serves 300 people in Victoria living with mental illness and substance use disorders and have significant functional impairments.

The study was conducted by University of Victoria psychologists Catherine Costigan and Erica Woodin and was requested last summer by police and Island Health.

“Our research suggests that the merging of two important systems—healthcare and law enforcement— allows each ACT client to be treated as a whole person,” Costigan said in a statement.

“This integration of care may be especially beneficial for ACT clients, who are some of the most vulnerable members of society.”

The focus of the report is to assess the impact of having police officers on local ACT teams, which are also made up of outreach and social workers, psychiatric nurses, psychiatrists and other specialists.

Interviews were conducted with 21 clients and 22 staff on the benefits and drawbacks of having the three police officers on the four Victoria ACT teams.

ACT teams are found in most major communities in Canada, including Vancouver, but experts say a police presence is uncommon and understudied.

Andy NealAndy Neal

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