OPS partners with YSB, CHEO, and Kids Come First for youth Mobile Crisis Response team

(Ottawa) – The Ottawa Police Service (OPS), in partnership with the Youth Services Bureau (YSB), CHEO, and the Kids Come First Health Team, is announcing a new youth-focused Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT) and a specialized youth-centred training module for officers. 

“As part of the crisis response team, YSB’s youth workers will connect youth with supports that feel right for them—such as counseling, family support, or community programs. By providing a compassionate and community-based response, we aim to reduce mental health crisis visits to hospitals, while ensuring youth continue to receive the services they need.” ~ Nina Gorka, CEO, YSB 

Set to launch in early 2026, the team will conduct on-site risk assessments, develop safety plans with youth and caregivers, and support youth experiencing a wide range of mental-health crises, including psychosis, suicidality, panic, conflict, and emotional or behavioural dysregulation. 

The team will also use the innovative 1Call1Click.ca service to quickly connect youth with hospital and community-based supports when and where they need them. 

“1Call1Click.ca is designed to seamlessly connect children, youth, families, and caregivers to the right mental health, addiction, substance use health, and neurodevelopmental health supports across Eastern Ontario. This new team will bridge a critical gap in trauma-informed care and demonstrate the power of collaboration within the Kids Come First Team.” ~ Josée Blackburn, Director, Kids Come First Health Team 

To support this initiative, OPS is introducing a specialized youth-focused training module for CIT officers, developed by the OPS Mental Health Crisis Unit in consultation with CHEO and Kids Come First. The module will enhance officers’ skills in responding to neurodiverse youth and build knowledge related to crisis response for racialized and Indigenous youth. 

This new youth-focused MCRT will complement the existing crisis response team developed with The Ottawa Hospital and the team currently being built with The Royal. The initiative is supported by a Mobile Crisis Response Team Enhancement Grant from the Ontario government. 

“The Ottawa Police Service is thrilled to collaborate with the Youth Services Bureau, CHEO, and Kids Come First to establish the youth Mobile Crisis Response Team. This initiative reflects our commitment to providing compassionate and effective support to youth in crisis, ensuring they receive the necessary care and services promptly.” ~ Deputy Chief Paul Burnett, Ottawa Police Service 

About the Youth Services Bureau 

YSB is one of the largest and most comprehensive non-profit agencies serving youth in Ottawa. It offers more than 30 programs and serves 3,000 youth and families every month in the areas of youth engagement, housing and homelessness, mental health, youth justice and employment. 

The YSB team has formal training in trauma-informed practice, mental health assessment, crisis theory, behaviour management, ethics, interpersonal communication, motivational interviewing, and community safety. 

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