Community Mental Health Crisis Response

About

As a result of a motion passed by Durham Regional Council in 2020, a Community Mental Health Community Crisis Response service is being explored in Durham Region. This service would be a new approach to crisis intervention in the region, led by mental health professionals.

The Durham Region Health Department, Paramedic Services, Social Services Department, DEI Division and Durham Regional Police Service are collaborating to explore this new service. To ensure the service is informed by and prioritizes the needs of all Durham residents, community engagement—in the form of focus groups and a survey—took place from November 2022 to April 2023.

Survey

An online survey was available throughout the full duration of the community engagement phase (November 2022 to March 2023). More than 1,400 community members completed the survey.

Focus groups

Sixteen (16) focus groups, both virtual and in-person, were held during the community engagement phase. During these sessions, a wide range of perspectives were collected from:

• people who have lived experience with mental health challenges,
• family members and friends of people who have experienced mental health challenges,
• local service providers,
• members of Black, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities,
• people living with disabilities,
• north Durham residents,
• staff specializing in children and youth services, and
• other community members living in Durham Region.

Thank you to the following organizations for providing support: Abilities Centre; Canadian Mental Health Association Durham; Carea Community Health Centre; Community Development Council Durham; Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services; Durham’s Children and Youth Planning Network; Durham Family & Cultural Centre; Ifarada Centre for Excellence; Kujenga Wellness Project; Lakeridge Health; McLean Community Centre; Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences; Pinewood Centre; and The Nourish and Develop Foundation.

Next steps

Feedback collected from the survey and focus groups was compiled into a final evaluation report. A presentation with the final evaluation report and a staff information report (Report #2024-COW-5) were presented to the Durham Region Committee of the Whole on January 17, 2024. To access these reports, visit: https://pub-durhamregion.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=3028(External link).

For more information about this project, check out the FAQs section or register for future project updates.