INITIATIVES

24/7 CRISIS DIVERSION

The 24/7 Crisis Diversion program helps people experiencing nonemergency crisis get to a safe place, freeing up police and emergency medical services to respond to more critical events. 24/7 Crisis Diversion program contributes to the decriminalization of poverty, mental health and addiction by supporting people to connect with appropriate resources versus engagement with police, justice and corrections.

INITIATIVE IMPACT

During the City’s Extreme Weather activations in 2024, the program
saw a significant increase in mobile team dispatches with the busiest
day having 145 dispatched responses. This is the highest number the program has recorded since the program began. In addition, 211 answered 1,890 calls on the Crisis Diversion press 3 phone line during the activation. During that period, volumes were 96% higher than the 2023 average, with the peak being 241% higher on January 12.

In 2024, accepted dispatches increased 49% over the previous year to 29,945 calls. Of these, 19,545 individual contacts were made.

Throughout the year, 47% of all the calls received by 211 were calls
for Crisis Diversion, up from 42% the previous year. Crisis Diversion
Teams responded to 33,855 unique calls for service in 2024, up 34%
from 2023. The total number of individual contacts made in 2024 came to 65,719, up 30% from the previous year.

In 2018, REACH worked with external evaluation to assess the Social Return of Investment (SROI) of the 24/7 Crisis Diversion program. The analysis calculated the average first three-year social return of the 24/7 Crisis Diversion Team was determined to be $1.91 for every $1 invested. A new three-year SROI study is underway, with preliminary estimated SROI showing $5.20 return for every $1 invested, based on the year one forecast analysis.

OUTCOMES

To coordinate access to 24hr services for all Edmontonians experiencing non-emergency crisis.

To divert non-emergency calls away from 911, reducing inappropriate use of police and emergency services. This also reduces the need for expensive medical, judicial and police intervention.

To connect individuals with the health and well-being resources equipped to address their needs

“Crisis Diversion reduces stigma by shifting the conversation about social issues so that the safety of marginalized people is paramount. Instead of public intoxication being a moral failure, for instance, or mental health symptoms being something frightening, they are now regarded as expressions of vulnerability. Crucially, with “Just Call 211” the community feels empowered to respond.”

- Jared Tkachuk, Manager,

24/7 Outreach & Support Services