CRCL stands for “crisis response community led.” It’s a model for a team that brings lived experience and minimizes police involvement in mental health related crisis situations.
CRCL used to be called Peer Assisted Care Team or PACT. It’s funded by the Province of British Columbia, developed, and administered by the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division (CMHA BC) and delivered by local community- based organizations.
They’ve been operating in Victoria for close to three years, and recently it was announced that a CRCL team was coming to the Comox Valley.
In both communities the CRCL program is being delivered by AVI. People First Radio spoke with three of the folks involved with Victoria’s CRCL team for more on what community led crisis response looks like.
“The majority of the calls that we get are for folks who are housed and appear to have economic means,” said Lacey Mesley, Director of CRCL Victoria.
“That isn’t to say that it isn’t for people experiencing homelessness or poverty. It absolutely is. But I just wanna give a very sound, articulated understanding that this is for anybody, no matter who you are or the background that you come from or the experience that you’re having.”
Mesley says they average around 300 calls a month, and that the most common situation they receive calls about is people experiencing suicidal ideation. Mesley says there is a 0.4% rate of police involvement in CRCL calls across the province.
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