IMPACT program at U of G receives positive feedback following its October launch

ELLYSE MCGARR

The Integrated Mobile Police And Crisis Team (IMPACT) program is a partnership between the Canadian Mental Health Association of Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) and local police officers. The program launched at the University of Guelph on Oct. 21 and is receiving positive feedback for its ability to provide comprehensive mental health support to students after hours.

“There's been lots of engagement and people wanting to hear about the program, what it's about, and appreciating the efforts of having this type of service on campus,” said Alison Burnett, director of Student Wellness at the university.

The program allows for a joint response to mental health, addiction, and crisis-related calls. Its goal is to provide callers with the most appropriate community-based crisis response to ensure better health outcomes.

IMPACT was originally created in 2015 to provide mental health services to residents living in the regions of Waterloo and Wellington. It has successfully resulted in less-intrusive service interventions by reducing emergency room and hospital involvement. However, most recently, IMPACT expanded its services to the U of G where it launched out of the campus safety office.

In this partnership, a mental health worker hired by the CMHA WW is on campus Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Friday to Sunday from 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. to respond to student distress calls alongside campus safety officers. Students in distress are offered resources and care from services both on and/or off campus.

According to Burnett, U of G is the first Ontario university to have a mental health professional working alongside campus safety officers.

In the past, students have been less likely to seek out help from campus safety officers if they think it will result in them being apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to emergency, says Jeff Stanlick, the director of services for the CMHA WW.

Typically, officers are not trained to offer individuals mental health support from a clinical standpoint, and so they have to send the person to the emergency department for assessment.

“That process can be quite invasive. It can be clinically damaging. It's at times unnecessary, and having said that, there's times where it absolutely is needed. But if there's a way that we can provide support and assessment right there in the moment, it translates to better care for people,” said Stanlick.

Since campus officers now work alongside the IMPACT worker, the worker is able to provide the appropriate clinical care for the caller on the spot, thus removing the need to contact the emergency department.

Knowing there is a trained mental health worker who can help them right away may change students’ perception.

“If they know that there's a service available, such as [one] where they can receive a full clinical kind of assessment and support in the moment and on campus, they may be more willing to engage and reach out for support,” said Stanlick.

According to both Burnett and Stanlick, the pandemic has increased rates of anxiety and depression in the general population, including amongst university students. It was for these reasons that Burnett initially reached out to CMHA WW to partner with the U of G.

Although the program is not available to contact for help 24/7, there is one group of people on campus who are—the residence staff. According to Stanlick, residence staff are like insiders on campus. They are usually well connected with the students and know what's going on around them.

“They're familiar with who may or may not be struggling. They might be someone who other students bring concerns to. And they're the ones who will act on getting help for residents.”

For these reasons, the IMPACT team has reached out to residence staff and let them know what they should do if a student needs help.

“It's that informal training and informal conversation about how to best support somebody who may be in crisis that really helps build the capacity,” said Stanlick.

One of the biggest benefits the team has seen with the program so far—both on and off campus—is the amount of calls that have been diverted from hospitals.

According to Stanlick, the IMPACT program overall has an average hospital diversion rate of 75 per cent, which he says is a “huge win.”

Word has spread about IMPACT at U of G, and it has attracted the attention of other post-secondary institutions.

“I've had at least three conversations with colleagues at other institutions. I know CMHA WW has had people reach out as well,” Burnett told The Ontarion.

Stanlick confirms this. CMHA WW has been approached by many other campuses, both locally and provincially, who are interested in the program’s model.

He says it speaks to the excitement around what the possibilities are to offer support to people after hours on campus.

“I think it's a really great initiative that will absolutely be successful, and I would love to see other campuses benefit from an arrangement like this. Because the challenges are not unique to the University of Guelph. The need is everywhere.”

• Student Wellness Services: For responses that can wait 24 hours, or responses needed that day, dial 519824-4120 at ext. 52131.

• Campus Safety Office: To contact by phone dial 519-840-5000, or, if using a campus telephone, use ext. 52000.

• Here 24/7 (Mental health resource): 1-844-437-3247. •

Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone: Text UofG to 686868. •

Campus Safety Office (for immediate responses): To contact by phone dial 519-840-5000, or, if using a campus telephone, use ext. 52000. An IMPACT mental health worker will respond with the campus safety office if available. •

Off-campus (for immediate responses): Call emergency services at 911.