Neighbourhood crisis response team expanded to serve more of Ottawa

The City of Ottawa’s mental health and addictions crisis response team is set to expand its coverage area.

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

The program was launched as a pilot in Centretown and Sommerset West in August 2024.

In December 2025, council approved $700,000 through the 2026 budget process to accelerate the expansion of the program. Beginning at the end of the second quarter, the program will be expanded to serve areas eastward. Areas of the Byward Market, Lowertown, Sandy Hill, Lees Towers, Vanier and Overbrook will now be able to benefit from the services.

The expanded areas were chosen by considering the diverse needs of each community. Staff considered demographic statistics as well as rates of mental health and overdose emergency hospital visits.

“The recommended geography expansion provides an opportunity to test the ability to scale the current program and more adequately support increased data collection and analysis to inform an evaluation and business case for the future of ANCHOR, including further expansion,” staff said in a memo to council.

New areas included in the city’s ANCHOR program. (City of Ottawa)

In it’s first year, staff say ANCHOR received 4,464 calls. What more, 92.47 per cent of 1,874 calls dispatched to crisis response workers were handled without police involvement.

Amy Johnston, strategic programs and projects specialist, previously said the program “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”.

Staff say a key part of the ANCHOR initiative is having available post-crisis response workers who can follow up with individuals after their engagement with the ANCHOR team. This provides individuals with better access to a continuation of care. The expansion will include the addition of two new post-crisis response workers based in the new neighbourhoods.

A business case for the ANCHOR program will be presented to council in the first quarter of 2027 to establish financial sustainability through the end of next year.