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City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release

June 20, 2024

Mayor Olivia Chow celebrates next milestone in delivery of Toronto Community Crisis Service as new workers complete training ahead of schedule

Today, Mayor Olivia Chow celebrated and welcomed more than 100 new Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) workers who have completed their formal training. This marks the next milestone in the delivery of the TCCS program as workers officially join Toronto’s fourth emergency service.

The City of Toronto and its partners accelerated hiring and training, working ahead of schedule, so that this cohort of TCCS crisis workers can begin helping local communities as soon as mid-July before officially launching city-wide service in September, ahead of the end of year commitment.

Program partners will host community pop-ups and share information at local events throughout the summer and residents can continue to call 211 to get mental health supports.

The hiring and training of the new TCCS crisis workers was completed in partnership with the five partner organizations working with the City of Toronto to implement and oversee the service as it transitions into a permanent, city-wide emergency service.

Under this innovative, community-based model, TCCS crisis workers dispatched to mental health crisis calls are employed by these partner organizations, with the City providing oversight, financial and logistical support, performance monitoring and community engagement. Those organizations include:
• 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations
• Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto Branch
• Findhelp | 211
• Gerstein Crisis Centre
• TAIBU Community Health Centre

TCCS crisis workers complete a comprehensive 8-week training program collaboratively developed by the City of Toronto and its partner organizations, with engagement from Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Paramedic Services It includes suicide intervention, crisis de-escalation, anti-oppression and anti-racism awareness, as well as First Aid and CPR and trauma-informed training.

The TCCS provides free, confidential, in-person mental health support from mobile crisis teams to Toronto residents 16 years of age or older 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Launched as a pilot in early 2022, the service provides a model of mental health and addiction crisis response that is community-based, client-centred and trauma-informed.

The expansion of the Toronto Community Crisis Service is one of the first-year priority actions in the SafeTO: Toronto’s Ten-Year Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. More information about SafeTO is on the City’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/community-safety-programs/community-safety-well-being-plan/.

More information about TCCS is available on the City’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/community-safety-programs/toronto-community-crisis-service/.

Quotes:

“I am very pleased to know that we are on our way to becoming city-wide ahead of schedule with our new emergency service, the Toronto Community Crisis Service. Thank you to all our new staff for your decision to help make Toronto’s fourth emergency service successful. I also want to acknowledge the dedication and commitment all our TCCS staff and emergency responders demonstrate every day to make this city safe for one and all.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow

“The expansion of the Toronto Community Crisis Service is a demonstration that we are doing everything we can as a city to help those in mental health crisis find the supports they need with immediacy and compassion. We continue to urge the provincial and federal governments to partner with us and provide funding for treatment services, enabling us to take more proactive and preventative actions.”
– Councillor Chris Moise (Toronto Centre), Chair of the Toronto Board of Health

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on X at x.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto.

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Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca

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