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Treating others as you would have them treat you by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 11 | Friday, March 22, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com If you were mentally ill and in crisis and the police were called to your home, how would you want them to treat you? Clients of Halton's Summit Housing and Outreach Program can now make their wishes known, thanks to the new Halton Crisis Plan Protocol. The protocol, which was created through a partnership between Summit Housing & Outreach Programs, Halton Regional Police Service, and Halton Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, was launched Wednesday at the Oakville Conference Centre. It allows people with mental health issues, who acknowledge that one day their condition may cause them to act irrationally to the point where they may harm themselves, to sit with a case worker and supply information that will prove useful if they or someone else call the police to their residence. early warning signs, what their behaviour is like during crisis, coping strategies, approaches that may be helpful during crisis (e.g. soft voice, avoiding eye contact), approaches that may not be helpful during crisis (e.g. strong tone of voice, direct eye contact), contact information for people who can help and times when they are available. The information is voluntary and can only be used by the Halton police for crisis management. Halton police Sgt. Sue Biggs said this information would be helpful. Police in Halton currently respond to mental health crisis situations with Mental Health Act training and an approach of speaking with the person in an empathizing way, but little in the way of specific intelligence about what the person is going through. See Giving on p.16 Sabaah Choudhary "This came about through a chance conversation between a mental health organization and the Halton Regional Police Service trying to strategize possible ways in which we can better support individuals dealing with a mental health crisis and to find a way to provide critical information to officers while responding to crisis and who are sometimes at a loss as to what to do best for that individual," said Joanna Matthews, executive director of Summit Housing and Outreach Programs. Amy Heaton "This means that individuals who could be taken to hospital or become involved or reinvolved in the justice system, are not, when a few helpful directions or contact names are provided." This approach has been used in Memphis, Tennessee and the Brant, Waterloo and Lanark communities of Ontario. Under the protocol, a person provides information about their condition including their specific diagnosis, triggers that can cause them to enter crisis, Weekdays & Saturday 10am­9pm Open Good Friday 10am­9pm Easter Sunday 10am­6pm Thursday Mar 28th Open Until 11pm Free Fashion Shows Free Childcare Free Re-Admission oneofakindshow.com Tickets Available Online Or At The Door Starts Wednesday! LAMINATE 1 $ 99 1 $ 79 3 $ 49 4 $ 29 from sq. ft. 12.3mm LAMINATE 15.3mm from sq. ft. BRUCE OAK 3¼" X ¾" from sq. ft. * from CANADIAN OAK & MAPLE 3", 3½" X ¾" from sq. ft. from NO INTEREST FOR ONE YEAR OAC* Hardwood · Bamboo · Laminate · Carpet · Tiles · Vinyl · Oak Staircases & More Bolton Mississauga Mississauga / Oakville Brampton NO PAYMENT (Mondarin Plaza, Hwy. 403 & Dundas) 4 $ 99 1 $ 59 2 $ 29 4 $ 5" X ¾" HANDSCRAPED ACACIA 99 sq. ft. from BERBER CARPET Installed with Pad from sq. ft. SAXONY CARPET Installed with Pad sq. ft. Installed with Pad sq. ft. 3105 Dundas St. w., Unit 103 30 Gillingham Drive, Unit 501 60 Healey Road, Unit 6 & 7 (Brampton Passport Office Plaza) 4800 Dixie Road 905.607.3800 905.874.8800 (beside Home Depot / Hwy 50 & Healey) (Corner of Eglington & Dixie, beside Scotiabank) 905.951.3800 905.282.0022 Prior orders exempt. Offers cannot be combined. Limited time offer, while quantities last. Pay no HST applies to selected items only. Carpet installation applies to flat surfaces area only. Minimum and additional charges will apply where applicable. See store for details.