Position Information

Job Title

Student Research Assistant – Centre for Public Safety Applied Research (CPSAR)

Appointment Type

Casual

Position Dates

July 27, 2026 - July 1, 2027

Hours per week/FTE

Flexible

About the Position

Should police be involved in mental health crisis response? How can you tell the difference between a crisis that requires police presence and one that does not?

This research project, led by Dr. Anita Grace and supported by CPSAR, examines factors and decision points contributing to police involvement in mental health crises. The aim is to advance evidence-based efforts to improve safe and effective mental health crisis responses.

For more information, please contact:

Anita Grace: [email protected]

Position Details

Duties & Responsibilities

Your duties and responsibilities as a student research assistant on this project may include any or all of the following:

- Contribute to environmental scan of mental health crisis response in Canada.
- Identify and analyze legislation and policies relevant to mental health crisis response (e.g., provincial and territorial Mental Health Acts)
- Map crisis response models in municipalities and regions across Canada
- Identify key findings from relevant academic and grey literature (e.g., reports from mental health services)

- Analyze quantitative police data on mental health crisis response.
- Assist with the identification, recruitment and referrals of research participants. Recruitment is aimed to reflect a full range of roles relating to criminal justice responses to mental health crises, as well as diversity of participants and perspectives (e.g. gender, ethnicity, and age).

You may have additional opportunities, depending on skills, experience, interest and ethics considerations:
- Participate in research interviews
- Transcribe interviews and/or code interview transcripts




- Assist with presentation of findings (e.g., conferences and stakeholder briefings)
- Co-author reports and articles

Required Qualifications Skills & Qualifications

Please note, you do not have to be proficient in all of the above duties and responsibilities at the beginning of your appointment. We are hiring a student research assistant to allow for hands-on learning, and it is expected that you will be learning various skills throughout the course of the project. However, some skills are required at the outset, as follows.

The research assistant should

- Have experience conducting quality literature reviews to support research projects
- Be organized, reliable, and able to meet deadlines
- Be a solid communicator, both verbally and in writing
- Demonstrate integrity and accountability in all work. Note that use of AI to produce research and present findings is not allowed. Submitting work that contains hallucinations or fabricated sources will result in termination of your appointment.

Preference will be given for candidates who:
- Are familiar with police and/or mental health services in Canada
- Have experience conducting environmental scans
- Have experience analyzing qualitative and/or quantitative data

Preferred Qualifications

Salary

$19 to $22 per hour

Working Here

Posting Detail Information

Posting Number

C26-00474

Open Date

07/23/2026

Close Date

Open Until Filled

Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants

Lethbridge Polytechnic is committed to inclusive recruitment practices by providing reasonable access and accommodations to applicants. If you would like to request an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]. Private information received in relation to the request will only be used to facilitate the recruitment process and will be kept confidential and shared only as needed with the selection committee.

📌 Student Research Assistant – Centre for Public Safety Applied Research (Lethbridge)
🏢 Lethbridge Polytechnic
📍 Lethbridge