Halifax’s healthcare providers and shelters are rethinking the way they serve locals with addictions and mental health concerns. A handful of health care organizations have changed their tack, in the wake of a report on shortfalls of Nova Scotia’s mental health and addictions services.

If you wander down Gottingen Street at night, you’ll probably bump into a group of about a dozen people standing outside the Salvation Army. Some are just out for a smoke. Others are trying to figure out where they’re going to sleep or grab their next meal. A handful suffer from mental health issues, disabilities or addictions, and a few are just passing through town. But everyone’s eyes light up when asked about the nurses in the clinic on wheels.