​Community Safety and Well-Being Planning situation table reducing risk in Grey-Bruce

The Community Safety and Well-Being Planning Situation Table for Acutely Elevated Risk (STAR) is an evidence-informed initiative that involves more than 35 partners from police services, human services, and other community agencies, working together to reduce the chance of imminent harm or victimization in situations where there is a combination of elevated risk factors.

The situation table works collaboratively to provide immediate interventions to individuals, families, neighborhoods, dwellings, and environments.

The multi-disciplinary partners use their combined expertise and experience to determine the threshold of acutely elevated risk, to ensure risk is not only examined through one service provider’s lens but all service representatives at the table.

STAR follows a four-filter approach developed by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and the Ministry of the Solicitor General to ensure the highest standards of privacy and confidentiality.

What is Acutely Elevated Risk?

Acutely Elevated Risk is a situation that negatively affects the health and/or safety of an individual, family, group, or place where there is a high probability that there will be imminent and significant harm to self or others. The risk factors of these situations span across multiple human service disciplines.

2023 STAR example

In 2023, STAR was able to support an individual with immediate wrap-around support to provide that person with the health and social services required to improve overall well-being and reduce the imminent risk of harm.

The intervention also reduced the individual’s 911 calls from 53 in 2.5 months to six in the 2.5 months following the intervention, seeing an 89-per-cent reduction in 911 calls and more than $15,000 in cost reduction to police and EMS services.

This was just one of 25 situations the situation table reduced the Acutely Elevated Risk in during 2023.