Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST)

The HRPS’ Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST), funded by the Canadian Mental Health Association of Halton and the Ontario Ministry of Health, provides Halton residents, aged 16 and over experiencing a mental health crisis, with immediate outreach and support. The team consists of police officers and CMHA mental health workers who provide follow-up support, risk mitigation, and system navigation for individuals referred primarily through police interactions.

While CMHA leads service delivery and community-based care, HRPS plays a critical role in referral generation, risk assessment, and increasingly, structured oversight of the triage process to ensure public and client safety. This integrated approach strengthens system coordination and supports the expansion of community-led mental health services across Halton.

Anyone can call the COAST crisis line, which is answered by a trained mental health crisis worker 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week.