"As Toronto's libraries increasingly find themselves on the front lines of the city's homelessness and mental health crisis, a program that aims to help some of the most vulnerable people is expanding to more branches. Social and crisis support services are now available in 12 Toronto Public Library locations across the city, in an effort to meet growing demand and reach people who may otherwise go without support in a welcoming public space."
""We would tell people where something was, but then we couldn't really warmly hand them over to anyone," French said. In partnership with the Gerstein Crisis Centre in Toronto, the library launched a pilot project in a handful of locations in 2023 to offer free drop-in crisis services and programs to people experiencing mental health, substance abuse or other issues."
"Partnering with Gerstein to address the gaps in crisis supports "only made sense," said French, especially as the library took on the challenge of delivering services outside of its expertise. The partnership was also a no-brainer for the Gerstein Crisis Centre, which saw it as an opportunity to connect with people who may not have access to its location, said the centre's executive director Susan Davis."
Toronto Public Library expanded free social and crisis support services to 12 branches to meet rising demand and to reach people who might otherwise lack access in a welcoming public space. The initiative began in 2023 after staff reported feeling limited when trying to help vulnerable patrons, prompting a pilot partnership with the Gerstein Crisis Centre. The collaboration provides drop-in crisis services and programs for people experiencing mental health challenges, substance use and related issues. The partnership leverages Gerstein's expertise and the library's public reach. Over 8,000 people have accessed services since launch. A 2024 CAMH report found 2.5 million people lacked adequate mental-health care.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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