In March 2022, the Toronto Community Crisis Service launched a 24/7 service to provide a community-based, client centred, trauma-informed, non-police led response to people experiencing mental health crisis and wellness checks. In its first year of operations the Toronto Community Crisis Service received 6,827 calls for service, with 78 per cent of calls transferred from 911 successfully resolved without police involvement. Data from the Toronto Community Crisis Service's one-year evaluation demonstrates that 95 per cent of clients were satisfied or very satisfied with the service they received and 90 per cent indicated that it positively impacted their perception of community safety and wellbeing. In year one, community crisis teams completed 2,936 post-crisis follow up interactions and connected 1,160 service users to ongoing case management supports. The Toronto Community Crisis Service provides access to ground-breaking transformative care in 64 per cent of all Toronto wards. If approved by Council, the service will be expanded city-wide in 2024 to become the fourth municipal emergency service in Toronto, alongside Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Paramedic Services, and the Toronto Police Service. The expansion of the Toronto Community Crisis Service is one of the first priority actions of SafeTO: Toronto’s Ten-Year Community Safety and Well-Being Plan to reduce vulnerability in Toronto through proactive mental health support strategies and community-based crisis support models. After a successful first year of operations, and the demonstrated need for crisis response services in Toronto, Social Development, Finance and Administration is accelerating the service expansion to city-wide coverage so all Torontonians can access the support they need when they need it most before the end of 2024. This report will provide: · an update on the progress of the Toronto Community Crisis Service, including the first year of performance data, service achievements and challenges, public awareness building efforts, as well as the recognition the service has received nationally and internationally as a model for community-based crisis response — · a roadmap to expand the Toronto Community Crisis Service city-wide, including a proposed approach to strengthening the dispatch and intake functions, which will ensure that dispatching is efficient, effective, and safe as the service expands — · recommendations for qualified community anchor partners to deliver the service in expanded service areas — and, · an overview of the additional investments provided through the Strengthening the Community Crisis System grant stream in support of expansion efforts.
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