It’s a terrifying prospect to imagine a lost and vulnerable loved one diagnosed with mental illness wandering alone and coming into unintended conflict with police officers who are trying to help them.
In an effort to better protect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is partnering with MedicAlert Foundation Canada on the MedicAlert Connect Protect service.
MedicAlert has expanded beyond protecting registrants with serious allergies or blood conditions to include information about mental health as well.
The new partnership was announced Tuesday in North Bay at the regional OPP headquarters, and in five other communities throughout Ontario, including: Orillia, Perth, Toronto, London and Thunder Bay.
The MedicAlert Connect Protect service provides police with immediate 24-hour, seven-days-a-week access to a subscriber’s vital data such as: a photograph, identifying information, care-giver contact, past wandering history, triggers, de-escalation techniques and other important medical information. It is expected the service can also help more quickly locate lost or missing vulnerable people such as those living with autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia or cognitive brain injuries.
By way of a visible bracelet or necklace worn by the individual, officers will be able to identify them as a MedicAlert Connect Protect subscriber and access pertinent and very helpful information about that person.
“The OPP is committed to continual improvement. This is a fantastic program that gives front line officers, who might encounter a vulnerable person, instant access to a database of important information to have a positive interaction and help that person,” said Superintendent Michael Pilon, Northeast Region OPP.
“The MedicAlert Connect Protect service aligns perfectly with the OPP mental health strategy,” said Inspector Kenneth Mantee, Northeast Region OPP, “We encourage all vulnerable persons and their caregivers to register so that we can better serve and protect them.”
To sign up for the MedicAlert Connect Protect service, to sign up an individual in one’s care, or for more information, visit www.medicalert.ca/connectprotect.
“Medic Alert has helped protect more than one million Canadians since 1961. It is wonderful that the OPP is taking the lead and keeping Ontario’s most vulnerable individuals safe,” said Jennifer Cuthbert, operations manager at MedicAlert.
MedicAlert is the largest membership-based registered charity in Canada and is the leading provider of emergency medical information services. Their mission is to ensure that all Canadians have access to high-quality health information at the time of need.
