Mobile Mental Health Response Service launches

A province-wide Mobile Mental Health Response Service is now providing support to Islanders who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. 

Islanders experiencing a mental health crisis can call the Mental Health and Addictions Access Line at 1-833-553-6983 where a mental health professional (registered nurse or social worker) will answer the call, assess the situation, and connect the patient to appropriate care as needed. The teams will operate seven days a week, 365 days a year, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and will be in Prince County, Queens County and Kings County. 

“The Mobile Mental Health Response Service is designed to provide rapid patient assessment and support to people in the community from an integrated team of trained specialists. The service will provide timely access to mental health assessment, treatment, and connection to appropriate ongoing care. One call will provide fulsome, wraparound services for an individual experiencing a mental health crisis and connect them to all the services they need to improve their mental wellbeing.”  

- Health and Wellness Minister Ernie Hudson

The goals of the service are to increase the quality of care provided along with patient satisfaction, interval between crisis events for individual patients, collaboration between emergency and health services, and access and coordination of services for Islanders in need in the community. Additionally, to decrease the number of repeated inpatient admissions for mental health, the number of calls to 9-1-1 for mental health concerns, and the number of visits to the Emergency Department for mental health and addictions related issues.

The Mobile Mental Health Response Service consists of embedded team members from Health PEI, police services, and Island EMS.  It is coordinated by the Department of Health and Wellness with operational management through Medavie Health Services, the parent company of Island EMS and Medacom Atlantic.  Together, team members work to improve access to mental health services, while also ensuring public safety.

“This proven model will enable easier access to expert mental health care in communities across Prince Edward Island,” said Matthew Crossman, vice president of operations, Medavie Health Services. “Providing care when and where Islanders need it, will help sustain our health care system for the long term and aligns with our belief that all Canadians should have access to high-quality care from specially trained professionals.”

Medavie Health Services has the tools and systems to ensure that if a situation changes from crisis to an emergency, the appropriate supports can be dispatched safely and effectively. Having a seamless integration with 9-1-1 is important for the health and safety of Islanders. 

Support for the Mobile Mental Health Response Service is being provided through the Canada-Prince Edward Island Home and Community Care and Mental Health and Addictions Services Funding Agreement as part of the January 2017 announcement of federal support to Prince Edward Island of over $45M million over 10 years for initiatives related to youth, mental health, and home and community care.

Media contact:
Samantha Hughes
Department of Health and Wellness
shughes@gov.pe.ca

About Medavie Health Services

Medavie Health Services is a national leader in primary health care solutions and the largest contracted provider of EMS management services in Canada. With a network of 4,300 health care professionals in six provinces, Medavie Health Services has a long history of operating ground and air ambulance services, medical communications, Mobile Integrated Health / Community Paramedicine programs, 911 Public Safety, 811 Telehealth, home health care, as well as clinical training.

Medavie Health Services is part of Medavie, a national health solutions partner. Together with Medavie Blue Cross, we are committed to providing innovative solutions that will improve the wellbeing of Canadians. We are proud to commit an annual social dividend to the Medavie Health Foundation to support programs and initiatives aimed at addressing some of our country’s most pressing physical and mental health care challenges.