Addressing Over-users of Health/Social and Police Services (Details)

Name of province/ territory:

Quebec

City/ Region:

Repentigny

Description of Initiative:

This initiative involves targeting individuals with problems who excessively call on different public services (including ours), without a solution being found. For example, our service intervenes in a situation with a person who appears to have behavioural problems. He or she is brought to the hospital and is then released without really solving the problem. Then our interventions with this individual are never-ending. For these cases, a committee of resource people from the local health and social services centres and police meet to find a solution for the individuals in question. The committee is ad hoc for this project.

Initiative Key Objectives:

To take care of users and not leave them on their own. Reduce the number of calls and therefore the amount of police travel for these over-users.

Section Responsible for Implementation:

Socio-community

Key Contact:

André Corbeil
corbeil.andre@ville.repentigny.qc.ca

Groups/ Agencies/ Key Partners Involved:

• community groups
• other government departments/agencies

Level of Involvement (consultative - information sharing) and/or cooperative - direct involvement):

Cooperative

Amount of Time Initiative has been in Place:

Since 2009.

Reason for Undertaking the Initiative:

The numerous calls from the one individual required a lot of police travel. There was therefore a mobilization of police resources. These same individuals also created work and required time from other social and health partners.

Resources Required to Implement this Initiative:

N/A

Method of Implementation:

Phased in following meetings with different workers. Each problem case identified is assessed by the committee that has been formed.

Key Outcomes of the Initiative:

Key outcomes include the following:

• fewer 911 calls from troubled individuals;
• cooperation with the health and social service centres;
• improvement in the quality of life of the citizens in question; and
• police officers are more motivated to respond to these calls because of the follow-up provided.

Availability of a Communication Strategy:

No

Key Messages used to Publicize the Initiative:

Circulated internally to inform patrol officers about the follow-up of their file through e-mail or meetings.

Forms of Evaluation by which the Initiative will be Assessed:

• quantitative
• qualitative

Evaluation Completed or Community Feedback Received:

Yes

Summary of the Outcomes:

N/A

Summary of the Performance Measure Data Collected:

N/A

Economics of Policing Pillars:

• Efficiencies within Police Services
• New Models of Community Safety

Further Details:

Improvements:

• better management of resources because there is less travel by police;
• creating ties with the citizen;
• effective problem solving; and
• strategic partnership.

Additional Comments or Suggestions:

In partnership with the health and social services centres, the service’s over-users’ program operates thanks to another of the hospital’s initiatives called Défi-Action. It set up this program in response to over-users. Two nurses are assigned to this project and follow-up with over-users to ensure that they are not left to themselves and that they receive the help they need.

Record Entry Date:

2013-08-01