As directed by the province and with heavy hearts, South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) staff closed the doors of the keepSIX consumption and treatment service (CTS) for the last time on March 21, 2025. Staff diligently planned for this closure for many months to ensure continuity of care for their most vulnerable service users while keeping the community informed to help minimize the impact of this significant change.
The service first opened on November 27, 2017. It was named keepSIX, which means ‘got your back,’ as an homage to Raffi Balian. Balian was the founder of SRCHC’s COUNTERfit harm reduction program and a life long advocate for people who use drugs.
Since opening the staff team, which includes community health workers, social workers, nurses and physicians, have made hundreds of referrals to offsite health and social services, such as housing supports, mental health services, and addictions programs. Staff used an integrated care model to provide on-site primary care, counselling, vaccinations, foot care, wound care and more. Last year alone, staff supported an average of 70 unique service users per month and reversed 51 overdoses. KeepSIX CTS staff made only two calls to emergency medical services (EMS) in 2024, reducing the strain on these overburdened essential services.
“It’s very sad to think about keepSIX closed and what the future holds. Grief and loss are not feelings that are unusual for our staff, clients who use and their family members, and those who work in or support our services, and many are feeling the loss already,” shares SRCHC CEO Shannon Wiens. “Over the past eight years, we have had many ups and downs but through it all we have reached thousands of people and saved hundreds of lives.”
KeepSIX staff have hosted many community Open Houses and educational tours since 2017, with over 1,000 visitors from across Canada and around the world. The final Open House was held on February 26, 2025, bringing in dozens of people reflecting many diverse communities, including former service users and staff, neighbours, and workers from other health care and social service organizations.
On that evening Jason Miles, a former keepSIX service user, delivered a passionate speech that brought a tear to every eye in the room. “SRCHC not only saved my life during overdoses, but the amazing staff supported me through recovery and, after spending three years homeless, they helped me get my own place,” Miles said. “I’ve now been sober for a year and a half.”
For many months, SRCHC has been working with service users to support their transition to accessing other health care and service options available after the closure. KeepSIX CTS is one of five CTS that will close by March 31, 2025 in Toronto. Staff have been conducting overdose response training on a weekly basis with clients and their families, community members, and local businesses.
“We know that closing keepSIX will not end the toxic drug crisis and we’re going to have to work together to keep people safe,” said SRCHC Director of Community Engagement and Communications, Gabriella Skubincan. “As part of the plan to close the site, we launched a social media campaign to help educate people about the actions they can take if they encounter someone using drugs, discarded needles in their neighbourhood, or someone in need of emergency medical treatment.”
If you have questions, concerns, or would like to learn more, please contact us at srchc.com or follow us on social media.