(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)

Police officers in two Okanagan cities will soon be joined by health-care workers on calls relating to mental-health or substance-use crises.

The BC government announced today, July 17, Vernon and Penticton are among nine communities that will benefit from the expansion of the Mobile Integrated Crisis Response, also known as the Car 40 program. The province is spending $3 million on the program.

“Today’s announcement is not a silver bullet but rather a major step forward and we look forward to the details on how quickly the program can be in operation in Penticton," Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield said in a media release.

The Car 40 program will also be added in Abbotsford, Port Coquitlam/Coquitlam, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Squamish, Prince Rupert and the Westshore. 

“When people are in crisis because of mental-health challenges, we want them met with compassion and appropriate care,” Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside said in a media release. “We are expanding crisis-response teams across the province to ensure that at their most vulnerable time, people in distress in our communities receive a health-focused response and connections to the services and supports they need on their pathway to well-being.”

READ MORE: Combining police with nurses for mental health calls isn't new; B.C.'s first came in 1978

One in five interactions with police in B.C. involve someone with a mental health disorder, according to the province.

“These partnerships between nurses and police officers are so beneficial to clients during crises because we get to bring our specialized mental-health assessment skills and knowledge right to them,” registered psychiatric nurse Tina Baker said the release. “We can give 100% of our care and attention to the client, knowing that police are there to keep us and clients safe.”

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