Policing wellness checks

Guest: Wendy Gillis, reporter at the Toronto Star Imagine someone going through a serious mental health crisis — and calls for help to prevent hurting themselves — and is then seriously hurt by those who responded to the distress call. It happened to a man called Brent Langille in an example of police on the frontlines of mental health calls. But shrinking budgets for mental health programs has led to the police becoming de-facto front-line mental health workers. We take a look at how this recent case highlighted cracks in the system. If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at http://crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston