Toronto Libraries Enhance Crisis Support Services Across City

The Toronto Public Library is expanding its social and crisis support services to meet the growing needs of individuals facing homelessness and mental health challenges. This initiative now spans 12 library locations across the city, aiming to provide essential assistance in an accessible and welcoming environment.

The initiative was conceived in 2023, driven by staff observations of their limitations in supporting vulnerable individuals who frequented the library. Amanda French, manager of social development at Toronto Public Library, noted, “We would tell people where something was, but then we couldn’t really warmly hand them over to anyone.” This gap prompted a partnership with the Gerstein Crisis Centre, leading to the launch of a pilot project that offers free, drop-in crisis services to those grappling with mental health, substance abuse, and other related issues.

Meeting Critical Needs Through Community Engagement

According to French, collaborating with the Gerstein Crisis Centre was a natural fit, as both organizations aimed to bridge the gaps in available crisis support. Susan Davis, executive director of the Gerstein Crisis Centre, emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating, “I think the beauty of it is the inclusivity and the fact that a community cares enough to try and bring the resources to the people.”

A report from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in 2024 highlighted a significant concern: 2.5 million Canadians with mental health needs reported inadequate care. The study also found that Canadians were experiencing “poor” or “fair” mental health three times more frequently than before the pandemic.

Library officials selected program locations based on their potential impact. French remarked, “We saw that there was a really great correlation between better connecting folks not just when they were having what we’ll call an emergency crisis or a loud crisis, but a lot of preventive behaviour before someone is already experiencing crisis.” Since the pilot’s inception, over 8,000 individuals have accessed services from more than 1,000 wellness programs.

Expanding Services and Fostering Community Connections

The programming includes a variety of peer-led group activities focused on physical activity and music therapy, as well as educational sessions on mental health recovery and suicide prevention workshops. Seven library branches, including the Toronto Reference Library, have dedicated crisis intervention workers available for short-term counselling and mental health support.

These group activities are vital, as they provide a sense of community connection that traditional mental health services may lack. Davis highlighted this need, stating, “So many people are living with loneliness and that really impacts mental health. Inclusion is really a core component everybody needs to feel well.” A survey conducted by the Toronto Foundation in 2023 revealed that 37 percent of Torontonians—approximately 925,000 people—felt lonely at least three to four days a week.

French pointed out that libraries serve as some of the last remaining free public institutions where people can connect. “These folks are already in our spaces, and so having them connect with things they perhaps didn’t even know how to find to begin with, bringing it right into the spaces where they are, that absolutely helps us build a community,” she said.

Since the program’s expansion in June, participation has continued to rise. More than 4,000 individuals have engaged with services this year alone, resulting in a total of 8,300 interactions with crisis workers. French emphasized the accessibility of the services, explaining that individuals can simply walk into any library branch offering them. “When crisis workers are not occupied with somebody, they’re often out in the library. So they’re visible and people see them,” Davis added, noting that these workers wear white lanyards with purple cards to identify their role in social and crisis support services.

As demand grows, French indicated that the program may be extended to additional library branches throughout the city. “We’ll look at our data and make sure that we are serving customers where they are with the kinds of services they need,” she said.

This report was first published on September 16, 2025, by The Canadian Press.