ManitobaWinnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham wants to hire a consultant to create a detailed proposal for how the city can launch an emergency service fully dedicated to mental health calls.Police responded to more than 21,000 well-being checks last yearCBC News · Posted: Dec 03, 2025 1:14 PM EST | Last Updated: 11 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Scott Gillingham first floated the idea of a dedicated mental-health response service in October 2024. (CBC News)Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham wants to hire a consultant to create a detailed proposal for how the city can launch an emergency service fully dedicated to mental health calls.He plans to make a motion at his executive policy committee meeting next week to allow his office to work with Pensa Consulting on a proposal for consideration by city council.Pensa is led by Maria Cotroneo, who has extensive public sector experience, including senior roles with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the provincial government, a news release from the city said.Her expertise spans mental health, community health and wellness, and the intersection of social and legal systems in Manitoba, the release said. Gillingham first floated the idea in October 2024 for what he’s now calling the Winnipeg community crisis response service (WCCRS).The WCCRS would provide a citywide community-led non-police response to the growing number of 911 calls involving mental-health crises that don’t require police, fire or paramedic intervention, the news release said.That would complement and reduce the strain on existing emergency services while improving outcomes for those in crisis, the release said.Winnipeg police data shows more than 21,000 calls for well-being checks last year, making it the top request for service.A dedicated mental-health crisis team would allow many of those calls to be handled by trained, trauma-informed responders, freeing up police to focus on violent crime, property crime and other public-safety priorities that require their expertise, the release said.Requests for a new way to handle mental health calls in the city were renewed last year following deaths of people after interactions with police.In January, a man died after police used force to subdue and arrest him. The man was reported to have been acting erratically. He became unresponsive during the interaction and was later taken to hospital, where he died.In February, officers fatally shot a man while carrying out an order under the provincial Mental Health Act. Development of the proposal will include exploring how dedicated crisis responders could work alongside community partners, health-system supports and the city’s 911 operations, the news release said.Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief Christian Schmidt previously told CBC News he supports the idea.”It’s these types of programs that are going to help free up emergency response services … and it’s going to ensure that we get the right resource to the patient’s side and, you know, in some cases that it is going to be a mental health clinician,” he said.
Gillingham pitches next step for emergency response service dedicated to mental-health calls
