A qualitative evaluation of a co-responding mobile crisis intervention team in a small Canadian police service

Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams (MCITs) are meant to assist the police in responding appropriately to calls involving persons in crisis with the goal of providing short-term crisis management, and open doors to long-term support. Several MCITs exist, however, evaluations of these programs are limited. This thesis presents a qualitative evaluation of the South Simcoe Police Services' (SSPS) Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST), modeled after the MCIT. The COAST builds on a partnership between SSPS and two local mental health organizations. The evaluation consisted of interviews with various stakeholder groups. There was consensus among participants that the COAST provides a better service than a conventional police response while also helping to bridge the gap between the police and mental health providers. However, the lack of resources was seen as a major challenge. The findings suggest that co-responding teams may improve the way the police respond to individuals in crisis.