People experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis in the Comox Valley now have access to more services to help them stabilize and connect to the support they need.

“This service in the Comox Valley is helping people in crisis get timely, compassionate support from those who truly understand their experience,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “By combining clinical expertise with the knowledge of people who have lived through similar challenges, this community-led approach offers a more empathetic and effective response that can make a real difference in someone’s path to recovery.”

Crisis Response, Community-Led (CRCL, pronounced “circle”), formerly known as Peer Assisted Care Teams, is a mobile, community-led crisis service that serves people 13 and older experiencing a mental-health or substance-use crisis, which might include thoughts of suicide or self-harm, feelings of grief, panic or anxiety, and/or acting or feeling in ways that are distressing.

“In the Comox Valley, we have witnessed CRCL represent a transformative approach to mental-health crisis response, centred around compassion and lived experience,” said Sarah Delaney-Spindler, senior director, AVI Health and Community Services. “By meeting individuals where they are, CRCL has provided immediate, person-centred support that fosters healing and connection within our communities. We have seen in action the impacts of CRCL and its low-barrier, compassionate approach connecting individuals in community with resources and support.” 

A person in crisis may contact CRCL for support directly, or friends, family members or bystanders may reach out if concerned about the well-being of someone else. The team is made up of responders with a combination of mental-health professionals and people with lived experience who are trained in providing trauma-informed, culturally safe crisis support.

“We’ve lost too many of our people to trauma, addiction and a system that wasn’t built for us,” said Nicole Rempel, Elected Chief Councillor, K’ómoks First Nation. “Our communities are grieving and asking for help, but what we’re met with is silence, delay or criminalization. The CRCL program is a step toward something different: a trauma-informed, culturally safe approach that recognizes the strength and wisdom already in our communities. We are not just piloting a program, we are decolonizing a system that has failed our people. This is how we reclaim care: by building something our communities can trust, and that other Nations can build upon too. This is not just a pilot, it’s a path forward.”

The CRCL team helps de-escalate the situation, ensures and plans for the safety of the person in crisis, and connects them to services to support their long-term needs. This service also helps free up policing resources to focus on crime and prevents demand on hospital emergency departments by supporting people in the community.

The Comox Valley CRCL is operated by AVI Health and Community Services in partnership with K’ómoks First Nation, with oversight and support from the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division. The service soft-launched in October 2024, focusing on providing care to the K’ómoks First Nation. In December 2024, it expanded to serve people in Cumberland, Courtenay and Comox. Since the service launched, more than 100 people have been supported.

In addition to the Comox Valley service, there are four CRCLs in operation in Victoria, North and West Vancouver, New Westminster and Prince George.

Expanding CRCL is part of the Province’s Safer Communities Action Plan and supports the plan’s goal of creating safe, healthy communities for everyone. Enhancing supports for people living with mental-health and addiction challenges is an integral part of government’s work to build a full continuum of mental-health and substance-use care that works for everyone.

Quotes:

Amna Shah, parliamentary secretary for mental health and addictions –

“Everyone deserves to feel supported and safe during a mental-health or substance-use crisis. CRCL offers a person-centred approach that meets people where they are, providing care that is rooted in compassion, understanding and community. This model helps reduce stigma and ensures people get the help they need, when they need it most.”

Jonny Morris, CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division –

“By providing a mental-health response to a mental-health crisis, CRCL teams are changing and saving lives in the communities they serve. Collectively, teams have responded to more than 10,000 calls since January 2023, resolving almost 99% of calls without the need for police involvement. We are grateful to the Province of B.C. and CRCL teams for helping to create this network of support.”

Quick Facts:

• CRCL launched in North and West Vancouver in 2021 and expanded to Victoria and New Westminster in January 2023.
• In July 2023, government announced the expansion of CRCL to Comox Valley, Prince George, where it launched in August 2024, and to Kamloops, where it is in development.
• CRCL teams have responded to more than 10,000 calls since January 2023.
• In 2024, teams responded to almost 6,000 calls, 99% of which did not require police involvement.
• CRCL is creating a growing, specialized workforce of crisis responders in B.C., employing more than 100 people in six communities in B.C.

Learn More:

To learn more about CRCL, visit: https://crcl.ca/

To learn more about mental-health and substance-use supports in B.C., visit: https://helpstartshere.gov.bc.ca/