Photo: Chelsey Mutter

Staff at the Vernon branch of the Okanagan Regional Library say the Integrated Crisis Response Team has been a great resource for them to use.

The comments were made at the April 8 Vernon city council meeting, during which a delegation from the ORL provided council with an update on its new strategic plan initiatives and current activities.

Kristy Hennings, from the Vernon library, stated that the branch “loves” the ICRT program. Created in November, the ICRT pairs Interior Health nurses with Mounties to respond to calls for service involving a mental health component.

"We use it at the branch a lot instead of just calling 911 and having the police respond as usual. Having the ICRT has actually really helped diffuse many situations we encounter with some of our regular users," said Hennings.

"So I have to say I found it to be really helpful for reducing stress levels for my staff."

These comments followed the quarterly report to council by Vernon RCMP, just before the library delegation. The report included an update on the new ICRT program. Of Vernon’s 360 mental health occurrences from October to December, the ICRT team led in 88 cases.

"The team was established for the mental health aspect, but sometimes they get involved in various other situations throughout the day," said Insp. Blake MacLeod.