The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) and Halton Healthcare have officially partnered to launch a pilot Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (MCRRT), which will provide enhanced support and care to individuals across the region who are experiencing a mental health crisis.

Through the MCRRT program, a specially trained HRPS officer will be paired with a healthcare professional, and together, will respond to urgent calls involving a person in crisis. The officer’s priority is to ensure the safety of everyone involved, while the healthcare professional will determine the type of support and next steps the individual may require.

The MCRRT team may simply engage the individual in conversation to de-escalate them and offer comfort, or, based on a number of factors, decide to connect them to community services where experts can provide the appropriate care and resources to facilitate recovery. The individual will only be transported to a local hospital if the MCRRT team concludes that no other option is safe or appropriate.

The MCRRT program’s primary purpose is three-fold:

1. Help ensure from the onset that the individual’s first point of contact is with a specialized mental health expert;

2. Reduce the strain on hospitals and the judicial system by diverting individuals to appropriate community support services that can provide them with expert care, and;

3. Help reduce the strain on HRPS’ frontline officers so they can respond to other types of emergency calls.

This new partnership will bolster an existing and successful MCRRT partnership between HRPS and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, who pioneered this mental health service delivery model. Between January 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the HRPS received 5,476 calls related to mental health and addictions concerns; 1,739 of which were responded to by the HRPS and St. Joseph’s MCRRT team. It’s anticipated that the new partnership between HRPS and Halton Healthcare will absorb an additional 10% of service calls related to mental health crises, annually.

“Every day, our officers see the tremendous amount of distress experienced by people who are in crisis”, said Kevin Maher, Deputy Chief of Halton Regional Police Service. “Though we are always ready to respond, we know that healthcare professionals and other community services are better equipped to provide individuals with the more robust support they may need. Over time, our Service’s hope is that the MCRRT programs will lead to a reduction in the number of people who are repeatedly experiencing a mental health crisis because they will have received the correct care that empowers them to lead healthier and happier lives; and in turn, our frontline officers will be in a better position to focus on other emergency calls. This fantastic new partnership with Halton Healthcare is a win for everyone, and will only strengthen our joint efforts to support people in crisis, and provide exceptional community service to all Halton residents.”

"The partnership between Halton Healthcare and the Halton Regional Police Service represents a significant step forward in providing comprehensive care to individuals experiencing mental health crises," said Claudia Barning, Program Director, Mental Health & Addictions. "By integrating healthcare professionals into these situations, we can offer immediate support and ensure that individuals receive appropriate care in a timely manner. Our goal is to reduce the number of repeat crises and help individuals lead healthier lives. Together, we are creating a safer and more compassionate community for all."


About the Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS):
The HRPS is the ninth largest police service in Ontario, proudly providing frontline and investigative support to more than 672,000 area residents. Our jurisdiction is the fastest-growing region in the GTA and is expected to reach a population of 897,000 by 2031.

About Halton Healthcare:
Halton Healthcare is a healthcare organization comprised of three community hospitals - Georgetown Hospital, Milton District Hospital and Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. Together these hospitals, along with their community locations, provide healthcare services to nearly 400,000 residents in the communities of Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. Halton Healthcare hospitals have been recognized for their best practices in a number of patient safety and patient care initiatives.


Media enquiries:
Halton Regional Police Service: Contact Corporate Communications by calling (905) 825-4899 or email corpcomm@haltonpolice.ca

Halton Healthcare: Holly Case, Senior Communications Advisor – HCase@Haltonhealthcare.com