(AGENPARL) – Tue 08 July 2025 City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release
July 8, 2025
City of Toronto recognizes service award recipients in celebration of the Toronto Community Crisis Services’ one-year anniversary expanding city-wide
Earlier today, Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York) was joined by Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS) staff, agency partners and community crisis workers to celebrate the one-year anniversary of expanding city-wide, as Toronto’s fourth emergency service.
The one-year anniversary celebration included an awards ceremony to highlight the dedication and achievements of front-line, dispatch and call-taking staff, and the many individuals and organizations that have supported the service’s growth and success.
Since launching, TCCS has responded to more than 29,000 calls; dispatched more than 23,000 mobile crisis teams; completed more than 7,000 referrals to support services related to housing, substance use and mental health; and connected more than 1,200 service users to case management supports. In 2024, 78 per cent of calls for service transferred to TCCS by 911 were successfully handled by TCCS with no police involvement.
At the celebration event, twenty-two recipients won awards across six categories:
-Dedication to service
-Innovative solutions
-Rising star
-Change maker
-Connection to community
-Call-taking and dispatch excellence
Additionally, the anniversary celebration acknowledged the significant results the service has seen since launching in 2022.
The TCCS provides free, confidential, in-person mental health support from mobile crisis teams city-wide to Toronto residents 16 years of age or older, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The TCCS has created low barrier access to mental health supports with a focus on a consent based, community-led, client-centered and trauma-informed approach.
The TCCS is fully funded by the City and relies on close collaboration with five Community Anchor Partners to facilitate service delivery:
-TAIBU Community Health Centre
-2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations
-CMHA Toronto Branch
-Gerstein Crisis Centre
-Findhelp | 211
The TCCS represents a fundamental shift in how Toronto approaches mental health crises by demonstrating that effective mental health responses must be grounded in a recognition that public safety includes mental health and is rooted in community care.
Residents can access TCCS by dialing 211. For more information on the TCCS, please visit the City’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/community-safety-wellbeing-programs/toronto-community-crisis-service/.
Quote:
“One year ago, we launched the Toronto Community Crisis Service across the city to provide the right response to people in crisis and to improve safety in our communities. Today we celebrate our community partners, crisis workers and everyone else who has made the Toronto Community Crisis Service a success so far. Today is an important milestone to solidify Toronto’s reputation as a safe and caring city, as we continue to advance our SafeTO action plan and recognize the work of crisis workers in keeping people safe.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
“In just one year, we have seen the incredible impact of the Toronto Community Crisis Service across our city. This program is helping residents in crisis get the meaningful support they need – we see this in our data and most importantly in the experiences we hear from our communities. Congratulations to all the award recipients and thank you to all the staff who make this vital program possible.”
– Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York)