Ottawa pilots non-police, community-based mental health and addictions response service

In Centretown, the City of Ottawa is in the third month of a pilot project to provide mental health and addiction crisis services that are more inclusive and accessible.

The Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response (ANCHOR) program is a mobile crisis service that supports individuals experiencing a variety of complex health needs, but emergency responder intervention may not be appropriate or beneficial.

ANCHOR is city-funded, community-based and anti-racist. It has the capacity to serve individuals in a variety of languages, including English, French, Arabic, Cantonese, Swahili, and Somali.

“ANCHOR is a community-led initiative,” Amy Johnston, strategic programs and projects specialist, said in a city release. “The service is grounded in collective impact approaches and significant research undertaken by the Ottawa Guiding Council on Mental Health and Addictions, whose research and robust community consultation laid the foundation for the safer alternate response model in the city. It is an incredible example of research and community voices come to life.”

The ANCHOR pilot focusses on collective impact, a five-part model bringing together community members, organizations and institutions and modifying how they interact and connect with people.

The first component of collective impact is a shared agenda. Prior to the project’s launch in August, Johnston worked with ANCHOR partners — the Ottawa Guiding Council for Mental Health and Addictions, Centretown Community Health Centre, Somerset West Community Health Centre, and Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario/211 East Ontario — on the implementation of a new model for mental health services.

She said this model “represents a shift in our system and prioritizes anti-racist, trauma informed and compassionate community-based care, ensuring those in crisis received an appropriate response,” and was built off of compassionate consultation with the community.

When working in collaboration with a variety of organizations, standardization of measurements is crucial for shared data and effective response.

“Traditionally, people think of data as numbers,” Ikenna Mbagwu, a policy research analyst, said in a release. “In addition to numbers, people’s stories are also important to contextualize those numbers – and ANCHOR’s evaluation framework is designed to provide that context.”

Working in such groups also requires meticulous planning of actions so that everyone’s work compliments each others. Prior to implementation of the pilot project, community partners worked with the ANCHOR team to run “demo days” going through a variety of potential scenarios to ensure the service worked like a well-oiled ship.

Perhaps the most important part of the model is continuous and effective communication. Proper communication can prevent problems and put out fires quickly when they undoubtedly arise. But solid communication also helps build relationships amongst the partners which can foster a healthier environment that translates into their shared service.

“Having these sorts of plans in place is essential, they ensure everyone is following the same path towards the same outcome, but they are more than that though,” Chiara Marcazzan, communications coordinator at the city, said in a release. “Creating these plans gives us the opportunity to get to know one another, the unique roles we play and how we can support each other.”

The pilot and the plan to implement a safer alternate response is one of the strategies included in the city’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan and 2023–2026 Strategic Plan.