| Mental
Health and Justice Initiatives Case
Management Services - Mental Health and Justice Initiative
Mental
Health and Justice Short-term Crisis Beds (Safe Beds)
Mental
Health and Justice Crisis Prevention Program
Case Management Services - Mental
Health and Justice Initiative
These services support individuals with mental illness,
helping them to stay out of the
criminal justice and correctional systems. It includes 395 supportive housing units in Toronto
Region and is based on a high level of support services to
be provided to tenants/clients. These units are part of a
larger, coordinated system of services for those individuals
with a serious mental illness who have current involvement
with the criminal justice system.
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care selected four agencies
to act as Lead Agencies for this initiative:
These Lead Agencies administer the rent supplement component
of all 395 units and provide support to all but 139 of these
units, which are supported by other community mental health
agencies in cooperation with the lead agencies.
The goal of the Program is to enhance the comprehensive continuum
of care for tenants/clients by providing flexible, portable,
individualized support. The focus of the program is people
with serious mental illness involved in the criminal justice
system.
Contact Information:
Unit Registry housed at LOFT -
416-757-6454
www.mentalhealthandjustice.org
Mental Health and Justice Short-term
Crisis Beds (Safe Beds)
Safe Beds are used as an alternative to custody, emergency
room assessments, and/or hospital admissions. They provide
a non-medical approach to crisis intervention in a short-stay
residential setting. Support is provided for immediate crisis
issues and referrals are made to other community resources
for on-going, non-crisis issues.
The Toronto initiative is comprised of four community mental
health agencies working in partnership to operate a total
of 16 short-term residential crisis beds. The four agencies
are:
Each of the four partner agencies is responsible for operating
four beds 24/7 in a designated geographic area of Toronto.
CMHA Toronto's safe beds are operated in North York.
Service is provided for individuals with serious mental illness
who are in crisis and have come in contact with the law when
the Safe Bed service can provide a safe and appropriate alternative
to incarceration and/or hospitalization (i.e., emergency room
or inpatient admission).
Typically an individual would remain in the crisis beds setting
for a short period while linkages and referrals are made to
other community programs.
As the lead agency, CMHA Toronto is also responsible for
creating and maintaining web-based bed registry and centralized
intake and access processes.
Contact Information:
Network Safe Bed Registry - 416-248-4174
www.toronto.cmha.ca/safebeds click
here for
a referral form
Mental Health and Justice Crisis
Prevention Program
This program provides community support and consultation
for individuals who are:
- Presenting with behaviours that may indicate a mental
health issue and are at significant risk of incurring criminal
charges or
- Before the criminal courts on charges or
- Have recently had charges before the criminal courts.
This program attempts to reduce the risk of criminal arrest
by linking persons to mental health and other services and,
where needed, by providing short-term case management/community
support.
Participation in the program is voluntary. Typically, individuals
are referred by police, probation services and court personnel.
Referrals may also be made by service providers, families or the
individual.
The Mental Health and Justice Crisis Prevention Program is
part of a larger, coordinated system of service for individuals
with mental illness who are at significant risk of coming
into conflict with the criminal justice system.
The program provides service to the east part of the city
between Victoria Park Ave and Port Union Road, Steeles Ave
to Lake Ontario.
Contact Information:
Referrals may be made by calling
416-458-9466 or by completing a referral
form
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