New Youth Crisis Response Team to support children in mental health crisis
WINDSOR POLICE NEWS RELEASE
New Youth Crisis Response Team to support children in mental health crisis
The Windsor Police Service and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) are pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative to provide specialized support to children and youth experiencing mental health crises. This collaborative program is made possible through a $240,000 grant from the Government of Ontario.
The Windsor Youth Crisis Response Team (YCRT) will provide Windsor Police officers with access to a dedicated youth social worker from HDGH’s Regional Children’s Centre when responding to mental health–related calls involving youth under the age of 16. Together, they provide on-the-spot mental health support, safety planning, and coordinated follow-up to help youth and families get the care they need quickly.
This provincial funding will support the hiring of a full-time youth social worker, deliver enhanced training for frontline officers, and ensure continuous program coordination and evaluation.
“We know that more young people are struggling with their mental health, and timely access to the right supports can change the trajectory of a child’s life,” said Jason Crowley, Windsor Police Chief. “Through the YCRT, we will provide a compassionate, specialized response that helps stabilize crises safely, reduces unnecessary emergency department visits, and connects youth and families to the supports they need sooner.”
This partnership comes at a time when demand for youth mental health support continues to rise both locally and provincially. Between 2023 and 2024, criminal code occurrences in which one or more youths were charged increased by 43%.
During the same period, incidents involving youth offenders rose by 51%, while calls involving a youth in crisis increased by 29%.
“The YCRT plugs a critical gap for families who need immediate mental health support,” said Bill Marra, HDGH President and CEO. “By responding early and directly in the community, we can reduce emergency department visits, support families more effectively, and ensure youth get connected to the services they need.”
This initiative builds on Windsor’s proven collaborative response programs, namely the Nurse Police Team (NPT) and the Crisis Response Team (CRT). The NPT pairs frontline officers with nurses from Windsor Regional Hospital to respond to substance-use and mental health concerns, while the CRT partners crisis intervention-trained social workers from HDGH with police officers to provide on-scene crisis de-escalation. Both programs are funded by the Ontario Government and serve as a model for the YCRT.
“The Government of Ontario is proud to support innovative programs like the YCRT, underscoring our commitment to strengthening the province’s mental-health system and ensuring young people receive the compassionate, specialized care they deserve. This investment not only relieves pressure on police and hospital resources, but also reflects our government’s dedication to delivering stronger, more responsive supports for families across the community,” said Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh.
The Windsor YCRT is funded through a Provincial Mobile Crisis Response Team Enhancement Grant, with $120,000 allocated in both 2025-26 and 2026-27 to support staffing, training, and program implementation.