program to divert mental health, drug crisis calls shows early impact, city says
the $8.85 million pilot project is known as the alternative neighbourhood crisis response (anchor) program.
2 minute read
according to a memo sent to city council, the anchor program’s mobile mental health teams responded to 626 incidents during the program’s first 11 weeks of operation.
ben goode
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a centretown program designed to divert mental health and drug crisis calls from police to a community response team delivered “meaningful impact” during its first three months, a city of ottawa memo says.
the $8.85 million pilot project is known as the alternative neighbourhood crisis response (anchor) program.
funded by the provincial government, the three-year pilot was launched in august 2024 by the centretown community health centre and somerset west community health centre.
according to a memo sent to city council, the anchor program’s mobile mental health teams responded to 626 incidents during the program’s first 11 weeks of operation. the median time from dispatch to arrival was 9.5 minutes.
mobile crisis teams were able to provide the necessary support in 86.6 per cent of cases. in 11.8 per cent of cases, clients either declined services or no longer needed support. only 1.6 per cent of responses were re-routed to the 911 dispatcher.
“anchor is showing meaningful impact and building a strong foundation for sustainable system change,” claire freire, general manager of the city’s community and social services department, told councillors in a memo.
freire said the program demonstrates the value of “collaborative, community-led solutions to complex challenges.”
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the anchor program was designed in the aftermath of the death of abdirahman abdi. the 37-year-old abdi, an immigrant from somalia with mental health issues, died in police custody following his violent arrest in july 2016.
abdi’s death heightened tensions between ottawa’s racialized communities and police, and led to calls for a new response system to help people with mental health problems.
the anchor program emerged as one new model.
the anchor program dispatches mobile health teams to help people suffering a mental health or drug crisis in centretown. the teams assess the needs of the individual and offer referrals to other services and resources, including follow-up support. they also offer wellness checks.
centretown residents can call 211 to access an anchor response team for a mental health or substance use crisis. the service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
the crisis response is delivered by staff at the centretown and somerset west community health centres, while the 211 service is provided by community navigation of eastern ontario, a non-profit organization that connects people to community, social, health and government services.
according to information presented to city council, the vast majority (92 per cent) of calls responded to by anchor’s mobile mental health teams did not require police involvement. about eight per cent required police attendance, 3.5 per cent also required an ambulance and 2.8 per cent ended with a hospital visit.
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the published data offered no statistical breakdown between the number of mental health calls versus drug overdose-related calls.
in a news release, vinh nguyen, manager of social policy research and analytics at the city of ottawa, said the numbers from the program’s early evaluation “indicate a clear need for this community-based mental health crisis intervention.”
the anchor response system is available to those people in centretown who live between highway 417 and the ottawa river, and between preston street and the rideau canal.
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