TCCS

What is TCCS?

The Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) is a new, alternate approach to responding to someone in crisis that focuses on health, prevention and well-being. The service provides an alternative to police enforcement, creating a community-based, client centred, trauma-informed response to non-emergency crisis calls and wellness checks. This service aims to respond to the needs and desires of the communities most impacted by policing and establish trust and confidence in a new community-based response model.

Kamaamwizme wii Naagidiwendiiying – “Coming together to (heal or look after or to take care of) each other,” the Indigenous led Crisis Response Pilot is led by 2-Spirited People of the 1^st Nations in partnership with ENAGB and PQWCHC. The Indigenous led crisis response team responds to mental health related crisis and wellness checks for individuals located within Division 14.

Kamaamwizme wii Naagidiwendiiying is rooted in community, it is relational, trauma informed, non-aggressive, and aims to always centre the individual in our approach to supporting their wholistic health and wellness. Culture and traditional ways of being are fundamental to supporting community. Our approach is flexible and responsive to the varying needs of people in crisis and those around them.

Our Services:

Crisis Intervention:  De-escalation and crisis response for individuals and those around them.

Primary Care:  Immediate needs such as CPR, First Aid and wound management. As well as long term needs such as healthcare, and dental care.

Harm Reduction: Substance use/overdose support, counselling, supplies and clean up.

Traditional Supports:  Supporting individuals wholistically; emotionally, spiritually, physically and mentally. With access to Elders, ceremony, medicines, and cultural programming.

Basic Life Needs:  Such as food, water, clothing, tents, sleeping bags, TTC fare, etc.

Mental Health Support:  Access to counsellors, mental health professionals and/or Elders/Knowledge keepers.

Referral Coordination:  Coordinating supports and services from various Indigenous and non- Indigenous agencies across the city, system coordination, and direct referral pathways.

System Navigation: Support in navigating through systems such as shelter and housing, health care, treatment programs, and the judicial system.

Family Support: Support for children, families and kin of those experiencing crisis.

How to Access TCCS:

The Indigenous led Crisis Response pilot launched on July 11^th, 2022 and is in operation 24/7 year round. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health related crisis please call:

211: The main access point is 211, where individuals in crisis or 2nd party callers can call 211 and be connected to a 211 dispatcher. Your call will then be dispatched to our crisis team.

911: The dispatch response of calls placed to 911 is determined by 911. For calls made to 911, operators have the ability to dispatch the calls to 211 which would then go through the above process.

Division 14, Boundaries:

West-Dufferin St. south to Queen St., West to Roncesvalles South from Roncesvalles to the shoreline

North-Canadian Pacific Railway line

East-Spadina Ave., Lower Spadina Ave

South-Toronto shoreline.

Our Team:

Our pilot is made up of a multi-disciplinary team of individuals; an Executive Director, a Director, Manager, Program Coordinator, Administration Support, Community Resource Specialist. Our diverse frontline team is made up of 8 Crisis Response Workers, 2 Nurses, 4 Harm Reduction Workers, 9 Peer Support Workers, 2 Case Managers, and On-call supply staff.