Item - 2023.EX9.10

City Council considered Items EX9.10 and EX9.2 together.

The Executive Committee recommends that:  

1.  City Council endorse the City-wide expansion of the Toronto Community Crisis Service as Toronto's fourth emergency service.

2.  City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to negotiate, enter into, and amend any service and funding agreements with the Toronto Community Crisis Service anchor partners (namely, Gerstein Crisis Centre, TAIBU Community Health Centre, 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations and The Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch) for the provision of the Toronto Community Crisis Service until 2034 on the terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor. 

3.  City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to negotiate, enter into, and amend any service and funding agreements with Findhelp Information Services (Findhelp | 211 Central), as the intake partner for the Toronto Community Crisis Service, on the terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

4.  City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to negotiate, enter into, and amend single-and multi-year contribution agreements for not-for-profit organizations funded through the Strengthening the Community Crisis System grant, with funding recipients and grant amounts to be determined through a call for proposals, within the budget allocation for the program, and on such content, terms and conditions as deemed necessary by the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor. 

5.  City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to negotiate, enter into, and amend single-and multi-year agreements to support program components related to the Toronto Community Crisis Service (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, Finance and Administration and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor. 

6.  City Council request the Province of Ontario to fund the expansion of the Toronto Community Crisis Service in alignment with the 75/25 cost-sharing funding model for public health services and to increase investments to close the service gaps in mental health services and addiction recovery programs, including detox beds and broad options for affordable and supportive housing.

7.  City Council request the Mayor to consider the City-wide expansion of the Toronto Community Crisis Service in proposing the 2024 Budget for the Social Development, Finance and Administration Division, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration.

8.  City Council forward this Item to the Toronto Police Services Board for information.

9.  City Council share the Toronto Community Crisis Service One-Year Evaluation Report with the Big City Mayors' Caucus for consideration.

The Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration gave a presentation on Toronto Community Crisis Service 2023 Update and Proposed Expansion Plan.

The Executive Committee considered Items EX9.2 and EX9.10 together.

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.