Progress on the Toronto Community Crisis Service

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The decision

2022-07-19 · Toronto City Council · amended

As filed

City Council on July 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2022, adopted the following: 1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to adjust Toronto Community Crisis Service pilot boundaries if required within existing resources to enhance local coordination and service availability and to negotiate and enter into any agreements or amendments required to achieve this outcome. 2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to open the Request for Expressions of Interest process for Service expansion by December 2022, incorporating considerations from the launch of the initial four pilots, recommendations adopted by City Council from the Auditor General, and other relevant community safety considerations.

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3. City Council forward the Progress on the Toronto Community Crisis Service report to the Toronto Police Services Board for information.

On the agenda

As the city filed it

At its February 2, 2022 meeting, Toronto City Council approved the Toronto Community Crisis Support Service pilot, and requested a report back on the implementation status. This report provides an update on the implementation to date and identifies key next steps. The Toronto Community Crisis Service has launched in four areas of the city. The new service will test a Toronto-specific, community-based approach to mental health crisis calls to 9-1-1 and 2-1-1, including those involving persons in crisis and wellness checks.

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The pilot is one of SafeTO's first year priority actions focused on reducing vulnerability in Toronto through proactive mental health support strategies and community-based crisis support models. The Toronto Community Crisis Service was launched in two phases, starting with the pilots in the downtown east and northeast on March 31 and April 4, 2022 respectively. This report will provide preliminary program data from these two pilots. The next phase of the pilots was launched in the downtown west pilot on July 11, and the northwest pilot on July 18. Preliminary program data from March 31 to June 18, 2022 demonstrates that the Toronto Community Crisis Service is successfully diverting person in crisis calls from a police-response to a community-based response, connecting those in crisis to appropriate community-based services, completing follow-ups and supporting clients who need ongoing case management. While additional time is needed to effectively assess the pilot's performance and impact, the Toronto Community Crisis Service has been recognized nationally, and internationally, as a transformative step in reimagining an alternative to police-response to person in crisis calls.

Staff recommended

The City Manager recommends that: 1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to adjust Toronto Community Crisis Service pilot boundaries if required within existing resources to enhance local coordination and service availability and to negotiate and enter into any agreements or amendments required to achieve this outcome. 2. City Council forward the Progress on the Toronto Community Crisis Service report to the Toronto Police Services Board for information.

On the record

The item as the City filed it

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