Mental Health & Justice Program
Did You Know?
5% of police dispatches or encounters involve “Emotionally Disturbed Persons” and 40% of people with mental illness have been arrested at least once in their lifetime.
Source: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
We Can Help
Margaret’s helps individuals with mental health challenges find support while they are incarcerated and/or as they leave the criminal justice system each year.
We Provide Support & Advocacy
The justice system can be the first point of contact and opportunity of access to support for those experiencing mental health illness. We know that any length of time in custody may aggravate pre-existing mental health conditions. This can harm recovery and prevent a successful transition back into the community.
Margaret’s Mental Health and Justice Program offers intensive individual assistance and advocacy for those experiencing mental health issues and who are accused of committing low-risk offences.
Margaret’s provides support in the areas of:
Mental Health Diversion – offering court/jail diversion services to clients with mental health illness who are at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system (pre-diversion); or clients charged with low-risk offences (diversion).
Court Diversion – connecting clients with community service providers to address their mental health concerns, instead of going through the court process.
Release from Custody Planning – helping clients transition back into their home communities after being released.
Housing – providing clients with a possibility of short and long-term supportive housing, and programming around life skills, personal growth, and recovery.
Court Support
Eligibility & Criteria
Age 16+
Living with severe and persistent mental illness
Charged with an offence
Require support navigating the criminal justice system
Released from Custody Planning
Court Release Planning
Eligibility & Criteria
Age 16+
Living with chronic and persistent mental illness
Incarcerated and request assistance in navigating services upon release
Mental Health Pre-Diversion
Eligibility & Criteria
Age 16+
Do not have a prior criminal record
Open to pre-diversion services
Living with severe mental health challenges with little or no formal support
Mental Health Diversion
Eligibility & Criteria
Age 18+
Living with severe and persistent mental illness
Charged with a low-risk offence
Open to mental health diversion services
Approved for diversion by the Crown Attorney
Need Help?
Call Our 24/7 Warm-Line
(416) 463-1481
Connect with us on our channels!
Contact
Office
Land Acknowledgement
As an organization, Margaret’s acknowledges the land we meet and operate on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the First Nations Peoples of these territories for allowing us the privilege of meeting on your ancestral lands. We thank you for the opportunity to continue the work of building a more just and equitable society for all.