Expanding Toronto Community Crisis Response to the Toronto Transit Commission

In 2025, the City of Toronto expanded Toronto Community Crisis Service citywide and made it our official fourth emergency service as approved through the 2025 Mayor's Budget. As a next phase in embedding this service across Toronto, the attached report proposes to pilot an expansion of Toronto Community Crisis Service onto the subway system to provide appropriate, expert care to people experiencing mental health illness and enhance safety on the Toronto Transit Commission. Through the pilot program developed by Social Development, in partnership with the Toronto Transit Commission, trained crisis workers will be embedded in Toronto Transit Commission stations to provide immediate response to people in need. The crisis workers will also connect individuals with further City services and resources as required. Transit riders will be able to request help through the SafeToronto Transit Commission app, by sending a text message or by speaking directly with transit staff or crisis workers. To ensure transit riders are aware of the service and how to report safety concerns to Toronto Community Crisis Service, the Toronto Transit Commission will launch a public education campaign to accompany the pilot. In the attached report, Social Development details the operational plan for the pilot which will be launched in November, pending City Council approval, at high-incident stations in the "U-Zone" in the downtown portion of the Yonge-University line. The intent of this pilot is to provide immediate support to Torontonians, and through robust evaluation and reporting, provide City Council with a roadmap to further expand this service throughout the Toronto Transit Commission. Toronto Transit Commission riders must feel and be safe. Toronto Community Crisis Service teams will enhance Toronto Transit Commission safety measures by working with existing front-line workers on public transit, including: Toronto Transit Commission staff; Streets to Homes outreach staff; Leap of Faith Together's Multi-disciplinary Outreach Team; Provincial Offence Officers; safety ambassadors; contracted security guards; and the Toronto Police Service.

2. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development to negotiate, enter into, and amend single-and multi-year agreements to support program components related to the Toronto Community Crisis Service-Toronto Transit Commission Pilot (e.g., training, evaluation, outreach campaigns) within the budget allocation for the program, and on such manner, content, terms and conditions as deemed necessary by the Executive Director, Social Development and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.