The Canadian Iranian Foundation organized a program titled "Mental Health in the Community" at the John Braithwaite Community Centre in North Vancouver.

The focus of this program was to familiarize attendees with Unit 22 of the North Vancouver Police and its services in the community.

Unit 22, also known as the Car 22 Program, started operating in January 2022 in collaboration with the Vancouver Coastal Health and the North Vancouver Police, with the aim of improving access to mental health services for marginalized and vulnerable populations. The staff of Unit 22, which includes police officers from North Vancouver and West Vancouver, patrol the city during their shifts alongside clinical counsellors from the Vancouver Coastal Health. They quickly respond to individuals in need of mental health assistance and provide necessary support.

At the beginning of the program, Nassreen Filsoof, the head of the Canadian Iranian Foundation, welcomed the attendees and provided explanations about the session's topic. Following that, Mozhgan Viessi, a representative of the Canadian Mental Health Association, delivered a speech about various programs offered by the association. She mentioned that one of these programs is the Peer Assisted Care Team (PACT) services in North Shore, which are often free of charge. While the Canadian Mental Health Association's services are available for individuals aged 19 and above, PACT services are for individuals aged 13 and above. Counselling services, however, are available at a reasonable cost through the association.

Next, Daniel Jahandar Damavandi, a police officer of Iranian descent, and Katy Craig Deboer, a clinical counsellor from Vancouver Coastal Health, provided explanations about their professional backgrounds and interests, followed by details about Unit 22 of the police.

Damavandi explained that when the police encounter situations where individuals require mental health assistance, they contact Unit 22. A two-member team consisting of a police officer and a counselor, patrolling in Car 22, responds to the location to provide necessary assistance, with the goal of avoiding involving the police further, meaning that no legal proceedings are initiated. Only if necessary, individuals are taken to the hospital to receive the required help.

He pointed out that issues such as depression and mental health problems are often considered taboo among Iranians, and people feel ashamed to talk about them. However, these conditions should be treated like any other illness, and help should be sought. Damavandi also explained why it is essential not to call 911 in all situations and provided information about the non-emergency police contact number. For example, if someone is experiencing severe depression and needs help, they or their family members can contact Car 22 directly to have a trained police officer and clinical counsellor come to assist them.

The non-emergency contact number for the North Vancouver Police is 604-985-1311, and people can request help from Car 22 and its services by calling this number. Damavandi mentioned that Car 22 services are now available seven days a week from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. for residents of North Shore.

Journalist: Majid Mahichi,
Skyrise Media Society