Nova Scotia expands mental health crisis response program

The Nova Scotia government is investing $700,000 to expand the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model into the province's eastern zone. This expansion will cover Cape Breton Island, Antigonish County, and Guysborough County.

Under this model, police and other first responders receive specialized training to identify and safely manage mental health or substance use crises. Responders gain access to a dedicated phone line providing live guidance from healthcare professionals while on scene. The initiative aims to connect individuals to appropriate care more quickly and reduce unnecessary emergency department transfers. In the northern zone, where the program has operated for several years, only seven per cent of CIT-involved incidents resulted in hospital transfers between November 2022 and January 2026.

Planning is currently underway to extend the program to the western health zone, including the Annapolis Valley, South Shore, and southwest counties.