RCMP officers across the Southern Interior have a new tool to help them respond to people experiencing mental health and addiction crises. During a press conference at the Vernon RCMP headquarters last Friday, officials unveiled details of the new emergency response tool. The new HealthIM application will assist police officers and healthcare workers in responding to members of the public facing mental health and substance abuse challenges, said Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Lumby, speaking on behalf of Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “One of the most challenging situations people face is responding to calls involving individuals in a mental health crisis,” said Sandhu. “Mental health and substance abuse challenges are fundamentally health issues, but they can quickly escalate into public safety emergencies that pose risks to everyone involved, including the public and care providers. “In these unpredictable moments, police are often the first to arrive on scene. Police officers do an exceptional job serving and protecting our communities, and our government is committed to ensuring they have the tools, training and support they need.” The provincial government has committed $2 million to the BC Association of Chiefs of Police to roll out the HealthIM application across the province. The funding will allow RCMP officers across the Southeast District — including the Boundary, Okanagan, West Kootenay, Thompson and Shuswap regions — to use the app. The app was introduced across the Boundary, Okanagan and West Kootenay regions on April 29. Thompson and Shuswap officers will begin using it on May 27. “HealthIM is a digital tool designed to assist police officers responding to mental health-related calls,” said Sandhu. “It provides real-time, evidence-informed guidance to help police assess risk, de-escalate situations and connect people in crisis to appropriate care.” The app will provide officers with vital information to help determine whether individuals should be directed to hospital care or community-based professional services. The information available through the app will help protect officers, the public, healthcare workers and people in crisis, she added. Under the current system, police officers have not always been able to provide healthcare workers with valuable information that could assist once patients arrive at hospital, she said. “This is a significant milestone for policing in our province when it comes to mental health crisis response,” said Sandhu. “This helps keep everyone safe, most importantly those dealing with crisis.” Michelle Tansey, superintendent with the BC Association of Chiefs of Police, said the expansion of the HealthIM app represents a significant step forward in helping officers and healthcare workers respond to society’s most vulnerable citizens. “HealthIM is a digital crisis response and risk assessment system designed to support front-line officers responding to mental health and substance use crises,” she said. “It helps officers make informed decisions based on evidence in real time.” Starting this week, the app will be used by officers at 40 detachments and nine highway patrol centres across the Southeast District, said Tansey. Use of the app will ensure safer, more consistent and more compassionate crisis response across the region, she said. Over the past several years, police officers have increasingly been called upon to respond to mental health and substance abuse situations, with one in five police interactions involving a mental health crisis, she said. “These are not routine calls for service,” she said. “They are often deeply human, emotionally charged situations involving individuals and families experiencing some of the most vulnerable and difficult moments in their lives. “In the most serious circumstances, officers must make critical decisions in rapidly evolving environments while carefully balancing public safety with the immediate care and dignity of the person in crisis. This is why the HealthIM initiative matters.” At its core, the app helps police and healthcare workers better respond to crisis situations by improving communication and information-sharing, allowing for more informed and compassionate care, she said. “This initiative is about far more than technology,” said Tansey. “It reflects a broader evolution in how policing, healthcare and government approach crisis response and public safety.” It has long been clear that responding to mental health and addiction crises requires a co-ordinated, health-focused approach outside the criminal justice system whenever possible, she said. The level of teamwork and co-operation among police and government officials to implement the program has been impressive, she added. “Today represents an important step not only for policing, but for our healthcare system and communities across British Columbia.” Chris Simms, executive director of clinical operations with Interior Health, said the app is a “major step forward.” The sharing of information will help emergency room staff better care for patients arriving at hospital during crisis situations, he said. Staff Sgt. Chris Dodds of the Revelstoke RCMP said he was proud to have worked on the HealthIM project for the past two years. “I’m super excited to be at the finish line here in the district and to start seeing the benefits of this project,” he said. Emergency calls involving mental health and substance abuse situations are “fast-moving and deeply connected to healthcare needs,” and sharing information through the app is crucial, he said. “HealthIM provides officers with a structured, evidence-informed tool that supports decision-making in the moment while improving communication between police and healthcare professionals,” said Dodds. “Through the HealthIM platform, officers can conduct real-time risk assessments and securely share clinically relevant information with emergency department staff before arriving. That means healthcare teams have better information earlier, and individuals in crisis can be connected more efficiently to the care they need.” The co-ordinated response will lead to better outcomes for the public, which is the goal of the program. “We are already seeing the impact of this work across the province and within the Southeast District,” said Dodds. Out of 270 recent police calls across the district, officers using the app responded to more than 130 incidents involving people with mental health challenges and were able to connect them with assistance immediately. “Those numbers represent people in crisis receiving more informed and co-ordinated care during some of the most difficult moments in their lives.” Victor Cumming, mayor of Vernon, said the app will greatly assist both officers and healthcare professionals moving forward. “We know this is incredibly needed,” he said.
By Keith Lacey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on May 27, 2026 at 08:36
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