Expand on Non-Police Emergency Services in Toronto

PEOPLE IN CRISIS ARE NOT CRIMINALS.  

And people in crisis need help, not policing.  

So why do we still send police to calls when someone is in crisis - homeless people, people facing domestic violence, youth...?  

We all know this isn’t the best way. We’ve seen how police presence at these calls can go wrong.  

There is ANOTHER OPTION: Reach Out Toronto is working to expand non-police emergency responses to people in crisis.  

- Civilian-led. Trauma-informed. Built by input from the real people who need it.  

- Staffed by experienced support workers, and peer-support workers trained in de-escalation and working in their own local communities.  

- Accessible to everyone easily 24/7 through 911 and 211.  

We are working to: 

LISTEN to the ideas of the people who know -- people with lived experience, their families, service providers, and under-served and marginalized communities -- incorporating what we hear to: 

DESIGN a better, safer, more cost-effective solution for responding to mental health crises, and then: 

ADVOCATE to the city and province to make sure it happens.  

WE NEED YOUR HELP.  

Let’s make sure that when Torontonians call 911 for ourselves or our loved ones in crisis, the support that arrives is well-trained, professional, empathetic and effective. Similar programs are already saving lives in Stockholm, Eugene, Denver, and all over the world. Doesn’t Toronto deserve the same?  

This city is listening! They worked with RORN to gather input, research similar programs, and design Toronto’s evolving model. We need a strong, sustained advocacy campaign to ensure the city adopts the model we create in its fullest form, and for that, we need you.

- DONATE: This is our biggest need right now. We need $3,000 to keep operating, $6,000 to expand to fund honoraria for peer engagement in the process. Let's bring the city an amazing, thorough, convincing model so we can present as strong a case as possible. Every $20 brings another voice into the project, building a model that represents the full mental health needs of our diverse city.  

- SPREAD THE WORD: Share this page with your family and friends. Ask them to donate too. We need all of Toronto behind us to make this happen.  

- FOLLOW OUR WORK: On Facebook , Twitter, Instagram; see Reach Out in the news; and sign up for our newsletter.  

- JOIN US: See how you can get involved with us.  

- LEARN MORE: Check out our website. Still have questions?  We answer them here.  

You have been wondering “What can I do??”  This is it.  Act now and help make real change for over 30,000 people a year.  

Thank you.