Vancouver city council will review its next steps for a $2.8 million grant to the health authority in what Mayor Ken Sim says will enhance a police partnership with mental health services.
The investment, along with a funding allocation from council to hire 100 more police officers, will 鈥渂olster Vancouver鈥檚 frontline mental health and public safety response,鈥� Sim told a news conference on Sunday.
He said the bulk of the new funding 鈥� $2.5 million 鈥� will be used to hire 58 new mental health workers.
Sim explained Vancouver鈥檚 annual grant to the health authority will grow to $8 million and future phases may include more 鈥減roactive responses to mental health,鈥� such as greater outreach efforts and services to help those recovering from a crisis back into the community.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredibly hard to overemphasize the gravity of this announcement and the positive impact that it will have on our community,鈥� Sim said.
鈥淲e have an opportunity to set a new standard in North America for a modern and compassionate approach toward addressing the conflict and often interlinked challenges regarding public safety and mental health.鈥�
The recommendations will be presented to council on Feb. 14.
Sim made the comments outside city hall on Sunday, standing beside Premier David Eby, Health Minister Adrian Dix, Jennifer Whiteside, the minister of mental health and addictions, and Vancouver鈥檚 police Chief Const. Adam Palmer.
Eby said Sim and the City of Vancouver are showing leadership in what is a complex public safety challenge.
鈥淪olving the problems that we see on our streets is going to take all levels of government working together, Indigenous leadership working with us, community service providers and law enforcement working together, health workers and so many more,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the approach that our government is championing.鈥�
Dix said the investment in mental health supports will not only benefit the vulnerable, allowing them to get the care they need, but the stronger health care system will also help the entire community.
Whiteside said that when people are in a crisis because of challenges with mental health or substance use, they need to be met with care and compassion.
鈥淭his partnership will help strengthen the work already underway by the province to provide urgent supports for people,鈥� she said.
Sunday鈥檚 announcement comes following a motion passed by Vancouver council in November directing city staff to allocate $8 million toward hiring new police officers andup to $8 million for the Vancouver Coastal Health authority to support mental health crisis response services.
Sim鈥檚 party, ABC Vancouver, was elected on promises to hire 100 more police officers and 100 mental health nurses to address public safety concerns.
Sim said the announcement marks a 鈥済roundbreaking鈥� next step in the partnership between the City of Vancouver, the provincial government, Vancouver Coastal Health and the Vancouver Police Department on public safety and mental health.
鈥擝rieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press
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