What crisis supports are available in Peel?

The PCCN provides crisis support specifically for individuals who have a developmental disability and/or dual diagnosis, Monday-Friday between the hours of 9:00am-5:00pm. Outside of these criteria, the Peel Region also has a variety of other crisis supports that may meet your needs:

Peel Children’s Centre Crisis Response Service

416-410-8615

  • Provides crisis de-escalation and strategies over the phone including exploration of community resources to help stabilize crisis
  • Follow up meeting can be booked to discuss a plan

Kids Help Phone

1-800-668-6868

  • Provides crisis de-escalation and strategies over the phone including exploration of community resources to help stabilize crisis

 

24.7 Crisis Support Peel (Canadian Mental Health Association)

905-278-9036

  • The automated answering machine will direct your call based on your age to Everymind (17 years and younger) or to The Canadian Mental Health Association (18 years and older)

Website: https://peel.cmha.ca/247csp/

Distress Centre Peel

905-278-7208

  • 24 hour telephone support, crisis intervention and suicide prevention involving individuals who are suffering from mental or emotional illnesses ranging from depression to irrational behaviour

Website: www.distresscentrepeel.com

Spectra Helpline

905-459-7777

  • provides confidential crisis and suicide intervention, and emotional support for anyone who needs a caring, compassionate and non-judgmental listening ear
  • programs and services, (i.e., crisis and suicide assessment and intervention, emotional support, and outbound check-in calls) in 8 languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu
  • online and text options

Website: http://www.spectrahelpline.org/index.php/our-services/helpline

What is a Crisis?

Crisis is the onset of an emotional disturbance or situational distress which may be cumulative and result in:

  • Sudden breakdown of an individual’s ability to cope
  • Individual’s state of crisis (distress) is not likely to change/improve and may worsen without immediate intervention
  • Such crisis may result in putting the person at risk of potential harm to themselves or others

A crisis is subjective, in that it may look differently from individual to individual. The main cause of a crisis is an intensely stressful, traumatic, or hazardous event, but two other conditions are also necessary: (1) the individual’s perception of the event as the cause of considerable upset and/or disruption; and (2) the individual’s inability to resolve the disruption by previously used coping mechanisms. (Roberts, 2005)

Crisis Intervention

Crisis intervention programs, including PCCN, aim to uncover the roots of the crisis situation and stabilize. Each crisis support plan will be different for any given individual, recognizing varying needs, perceptions and available resources.

  1. Biopsychosocial Assessment- Gathering detailed information in regards to the individual and their environment
  2. Establish rapport with the client, and family members to create a collaborative relationship- Individual and Family Centered Approach, meet individual where they are at
  3. Identify the dimensions or aspects of the presenting problem
  4. Emotional support and validation for individual and family
  5. Gather collateral information on what has been tried and explore options and alternatives
  6. Develop and formulate action plan
  7. Monitoring of support plan/ follow up

When do I access Emergency Services (911 or Hospital Emergency Department)

While crisis supports may be helpful to you in your time of need, many crisis supports are unable to support when there is the presence of probable and immediate danger or harm. The best resource to respond when there is risk of probable/immediate danger or harm is a hospital emergency department or by calling 911.

What is helpful for 911 to know when I call?

The decision to call 911 for a family member in an emergency is not easy. It can be helpful to share some key information to dispatch/the emergency department in order to provide the most appropriate support:

  • Diagnosis (including developmental diagnosis, mental health diagnosis or any mental health concerns)
  • Medication
  • Method of communication and/or language preference
  • Sensory needs (for example: My child/adult dependent can become triggered by loud noises or voices)
  • Challenging/aggressive behaviours
  • Specific triggers that increase above behaviours
  • Strategies that help to calm individual

Vulnerable Persons Registry (Peel Regional Police, does not include Caledon)

The Vulnerable Persons Registry is a method to flag an individual who is deemed vulnerable in the community and may be in need of emergency services.  The Peel Regional Police define a vulnerable person as “a person who due to a medical, mental health, or physical condition may exhibit patterns of behaviour that may pose a danger to themselves or others (including those with developmental disabilities)”. In the event of an emergency responding officers, and other responding emergency services workers, will have immediate access to this registry through the address that is obtained through dispatch. This can help provide vital information in a timely manner and reduces the likelihood that critical information is not overlooked.

Website: http://www.peelpolice.on.ca/en/services/vulnerablepersonregistry.asp

Project Lifesaver

The Project Lifesaver Program through the Region of Peel is another flagging mechanism that supports vulnerable persons who have elopement or wandering concerns.  This program provides a wrist-transmitter that emits radio tracking within a 2km radius. Once a caregiver identifies that the individual is missing, emergency respondents will use mobile tracking equipment to locate the individual as quickly as possible.

Website: http://www.peelregion.ca/social-services/life-saver.htm

What can I do after an Emergency Department Visit?

If you are connected to services in your community, it can be helpful to provide an update to ongoing support (ie: service coordinator, case manager or other formal supports) to debrief around the incident and explore resources that might be able to prevent the re-occurrence of accessing the emergency department.

If you and your family are not connected to services, it may be helpful to begin to explore what services or supports are available for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health concerns:

For Urgent, Crisis and Transitional Supports, contact Peel Crisis Capacity Network: 905-273-4900

Website: www.peelcrisiscapacitynetwork.ca

For children, contact Kids Pathways Peel for more information: 905-890-9432

Website: http://www.kidspathwayspeel.com/

For adults, contact Developmental Services Ontario:

Mississauga- 905-272-1241

Brampton/Caledon-905-453-2747