HealthIM Coming to Vernon and Interior RCMP Detachments

May 22 2026 - Police officers in Vernon and across B.C.’s Interior will soon have access to HealthIM, a digital tool designed to improve how they respond to mental health and substance-use crises.

HealthIM is a mobile risk-screening system that guides officers through a structured assessment (based on the interRAI Brief Mental Health Screener) when responding to someone in crisis.

It helps evaluate risk of harm, provides safety and de-escalation guidance, and improves communication with hospital staff using consistent clinical language.

The tool launched in the Boundary, Okanagan, and West Kootenay regions on April 29, 2026.

This includes Vernon and other Okanagan detachments such as Kelowna, Penticton, West Kelowna, Summerland, and Oliver. The Thompson and Shuswap regions, including Kamloops and Salmon Arm, are scheduled to roll out on May 27, 2026.

HealthIM is already operating in several other parts of British Columbia, including all municipal police and RCMP detachments on southern Vancouver Island, the East Kootenays (since February 2026), as well as Delta, Surrey, Nelson, Port Moody, and Prince George police departments.

It is also used in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario.

Early results from previous implementations have been positive:

• 46% decrease in Mental Health Act apprehensions

• 39% reduction in hospital wait times

• 37% increase in appropriate hospital admissions

These improvements are measured through data tracking of police responses, hospital handoffs, and patient outcomes before and after HealthIM use.

The B.C. government is investing $2 million annually to support the province-wide expansion.

Officials say the tool helps direct more people toward care rather than the justice system while improving safety for everyone involved.

HealthIM Coming to Vernon and Interior RCMP Detachments