Did You Know? All About the Mobile Outreach Program!

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The Mobile Outreach Program (MOP) is a diversion program focused on mitigating the impacts of street level social issues, homelessness, addiction and mental health. The program is intended to provide support for a client’s basic needs and navigation through emergency shelters, healthcare, addictions treatment, housing, or other services. The Mobile Outreach Program responds to concerns from businesses and residents related to trespassing, loitering, public disturbances and intoxication, needle debris, as well as suppress encampments.

The team also works closely with emergency medical services and enforcement services to help transport individuals when required and collaborate with other community stakeholders to provide wrap-around services. The MOP came into effect in September 2020. It was initially funded by a grant, but upon successful implementation, Council approved funding the program at City budget deliberations in November 2020.

Services MOP provides:

• Response to community
• Improved access to social services
• Transportation to a safe place (emergency shelter, family residence, or health facility to address the danger or health issue they are facing)
• Connection of clients to community resources (recovery oriented systems of care- detox, treatment, opioid antagonist therapy, mental health services, income supports, housing resources, etc.)
• Necessities (water, referrals to food programs, weather appropriate clothing)
• Assistance with client appointments
• Additional wellness checks and referrals to warming/cooling centres during extreme weather alerts
• Positive relationships

Community Engagement Patrols

Community Engagement Patrols (CEP) is a pilot project that started in June 2021. It consists of two RCMP Members, two Mobile Outreach workers and an RCMP UTV/ATV. The purpose of the patrol team is to ensure the parks and trail systems in the City are safe for everyone to use. The goal is to engage with residents in the area about their concerns and assist individuals who are rough sleeping by connecting them to shelters and other services to meet their needs.

Since the beginning of the CEP pilot, MOP attended 11 patrols, visited 44 encampment sites, picked up 44 needles, and assisted 12 individuals who were present during patrols by supporting and connecting them to appropriate services.

Did You Know?

From November 26, 2020 to January 4, 2021, Mobile Outreach was redeployed to support the Hotel Isolation Program, which provided a safe place for individuals who were experiencing homelessness and exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms to isolate. MOP provided 24/7 onsite support in collaboration with other service providers. MOP returned to normal operations January 4 and continued to support the program until it concluded on July 30, 2021.

How to Make a Referral

If you have a concern related to loitering, public intoxication, disturbances, needle debris, encampments or general concern for someone’s well being, you can call Mobile Outreach at 780-830-7094.