Home / Health / Ottawa Crisis Team Expands to New Neighborhoods
Ottawa Crisis Team Expands to New Neighborhoods
13 Mar
Summary
- Crisis response team ANCHOR to expand to new areas this summer.
- Program expansion approved with $700,000 city council funding.
- Expansion targets areas with high need for mental health services.
The Alternative Neighbourhood Crisis Response (ANCHOR) team in central Ottawa, established in 2024, is significantly expanding its operations. This initiative, designed as an alternative to police dispatch for mental health and substance abuse crises, will extend its reach to areas including the ByWard Market, Lowertown, Sandy Hill, Vanier, and near Lees station by this summer.
This expansion was approved by city council with an allocation of $700,000. The program's growth is also marked by the addition of two post-crisis response workers dedicated to organizing follow-up care. The ANCHOR team has a proven track record, having responded to 1,874 calls in its first year, with over 90% managed without police intervention.
Further bolstering the program, an additional $400,000 is being allocated. The selection of new service areas was based on indicators of need, such as population density, racialized and Black populations, overdose rates, and mental health emergency department visits, according to a report by Clara Freire, the city's community and social services manager.
