FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2026
HealthIM Expansion Reaches Northern British Columbia
VANCOUVER, BC — For many rural and remote communities, including those across Northern British Columbia, access to timely, specialized crisis response resources can look different than it does in larger urban centres. Yet geography should not determine the quality of care a person receives during a mental health crisis. Through HealthIM, policing and healthcare partners are helping ensure that individuals experiencing a crisis are met with informed, coordinated responses wherever they live. The model has already demonstrated promising results in Prince George and is now being expanded to additional communities across North District.
“Following a successful trial implementation in Prince George, we have seen first-hand how the HealthIM model improves efficiency, keeps officers focused on frontline policing, and strengthens collaboration with our health partners. In Prince George, apprehensions decreased by 42% with one year of the model being introduced,” said Superintendent Ken Floyd, North District Commander, BC RCMP. “Bringing this program to the North District marks an important step forward in delivering the right response for individuals in crisis, while ensuring our officers remain available in the communities they serve.”
HealthIM is a digital public safety system designed to enhance emergency police responses involving mental health and substance use crises. The tool supports frontline officers by providing clinically relevant insight that helps them better understand the factors influencing a person’s behaviour, leading to more informed and compassionate interactions. In doing so, HealthIM promotes safer encounters, strengthens continuity of care, and enables a more connected response between emergency services and healthcare providers.
“The launch of HealthIM represents an important step forward in strengthening collaboration between healthcare and policing partners across Northern BC,” said Graham Hall, Northern Health’s Executive Lead for Mental Health and Substance Use. “By improving communication and supporting safer transitions of care, HealthIM helps ensure patients experiencing mental health and substance use crises receive more coordinated, informed, and compassionate care.”
The North District launch represents a significant milestone in expanding access to coordinated mental health crisis response across British Columbia, ensuring more rural and remote communities can benefit from the same collaborative model already demonstrating positive outcomes elsewhere in the province.
“Every person experiencing a mental health crisis deserves a response grounded in compassion, informed decision-making, and access to appropriate care, regardless of where they live,” said Deputy Chief Constable Andrew Chan, President of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police. “Expanding HealthIM into Northern British Columbia reflects what is possible when policing, healthcare, and government work together toward a shared goal. This milestone brings us another step closer to a coordinated, province-wide approach that supports frontline professionals and improves outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.”
The BC Association of Chiefs of Police administers the provincial HealthIM initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, regional health authorities, municipal police agencies, and RCMP detachments.
As implementation continues across British Columbia, HealthIM is helping establish a more consistent approach to crisis response — one that recognizes that safety, dignity, and access to appropriate support should not depend on a person’s postal code.
Quick Facts
- Click here to view a short video of how the HealthIM system works: https://youtu.be/Q1cBLOmy8u4
Demonstrated outcomes across British Columbia include:
The program was launched at the Prince George RCMP detachment in 2022 and has delivered significant and measurable outcomes.
Within Prince George RCMP’s first year of implementation, the detachment reported a 42% reduction in apprehensions, driven by enhanced call assessments that supported more informed, evidence-based decision-making.
Apprehensions in Prince George decreased from 494 in 2022 to 288 apprehensions over the first 11 months, reflecting a successful shift from custody to hospital admissions and other supports for those experiencing a crisis.
Across participating jurisdictions, hospital admission rates increased by 37 percent, indicating individuals experiencing a crisis were more likely to be connected with appropriate and timely healthcare.
- Early adopters including the Delta Police Department, Surrey RCMP, and Prince George RCMP have collectively supported more than 10,500 calls using HealthIM.
MEDIA CONTACT
Leanne MacLeod
Executive Director
BC Association of Chiefs of Police
leanne.macleod@bcacp.ca | 604-773-4166
About BCACP
The British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police is the professional voice of senior policing leadership in British Columbia, working to advance public safety and support collaborative, effective, and equitable policing practices that serve communities across the province.