Guelph police look to add 2nd full-time mental-health worker downtown

Guelph Police Services Board is looking to hire a second full-time mental-health worker for the downtown core once the decision is approved by the city in February. 

The move has been approved by the police board, and Guelph Police Chief Gord Cobey says it will expand crisis care provided in downtown Guelph.

“For the last two years we’ve had a full time CMHA [Canadian Mental Health Association] worker supporting our member Mark O’Connell in the downtown. And the proactive work and the support has really been remarkable,” Chief Cobey said on CBC K-W’s The Morning Edition.

Since 2024, a downtown mental-health worker has been responding to crisis moments in high-risk areas of Guelph, alongside a police officer.

Cobey said the pairing has made “a big difference in our downtown.”

He says it’s because of “the relationships that our members have made with our downtown community, our businesses, as well as some of our most vulnerable that are in our downtown.”

The current downtown mental-health worker is employed through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Waterloo Wellington, in partnership with Guelph Ppolice. 

The organizations have been partners since 2015. Along with the downtown mental-health worker, six full-time and one part-time specially trained mental-health clinician are part of the Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team. The mental-health clinicians attend calls with officers when requested.

Need for a 2nd mental-health worker in Guelph

However, the downtown mental-health worker has a slightly different role, according to Helen Fishburn, CEO of CMHA WW. She says this role pairs the mental-health worker with a Guelph police officer on a full-time basis.

“So this is a dedicated partnership where we’re focusing in a kind of high-risk area, some high-risk neighborhoods primarily in the downtown core … and we’re really building that clinical and safety partnership together in dealing with really difficult situations.”

Fishburn says these situations include helping someone who needs wound care find the right resource or dealing with an actively psychotic person using crystal meth.

“These are untreated illnesses at large and our job is really to go in there and to help de-escalate situations and make sure that people get the care and treatment every single day. And every call might be a bit different, but it all comes down to the same core trauma and distress issues,” said Fishburn.

She says the program helps respond to issues through both an enforcement, safety and clinical perspective, while also responding with empathy.

“We’re not relying on 911, we’re not relying on sending people to jail. We’re really trying to respond in the most compassionate and clear way possible,” said Fishburn.

Not only does the downtown mental-health worker assist people in crisis, but they proactively help avoid crisis moments downtown, according to Cobey. 

“Our downtown is the heart of our community and we want it to be a safe and welcoming place for everyone,” he said.

Impact on police budget

Adding a second downtown worker will also impact the police budget. 

Initially, one worker was approved from 2024-2027, funded out of the police reserve fund. 

By adding a second worker in 2026, $235,000 will be moved out of the police reserve fund and added to the police budget.

Cobey says the cost of both workers will be added into the base budget in 2027. 

If adding a second downtown mental-health worker is approved by the city in February, Cobey hopes to add them “immediately,” once they are resourced by CMHA WW.