NPT pilot program records 25 interactions in first weekend
During its first weekend, a new pilot program aimed at helping those struggling with substance use and mental health challenges recorded 25 interactions.
The Nurse and Police Team (NPT) program launched last Friday and pairs nurses from Windsor Regional Hospital with frontline police officers for the purpose of more effectively responding to non-emergency, substance use-related incidents.
AM800 reports during NPT’s first outing the weekend of May 12 to 14, the team had 25 interactions, providing on-site clinical assessments, referrals to community resources and apprehensions under the Mental Health Act when needed.
The teams also went to areas like the Downtown Mission to offer quick medical assessments, health teaching and education and educating people on available community resources, police told AM800.
NPT will be back out in Windsor for the long weekend as well.
The goal of the NPT program is to deliver immediate care and connect individuals in need with the appropriate supports, while steering them away from the criminal justice system and emergency rooms. This initiative is designed to introduce more meaningful treatment options, resources and other human services to individuals in need of these supports.
Between Windsor Regional Hospital’s Met and Ouellette Campuses, about 7,000 mental health and substance use patients are seen at the emergency departments each year, but officials tell AM800 not every patient requires emergency room services.
Officer-nurse teams will continue working on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. The program will run for the next three months, at which time it will be evaluated for further continuation.
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