Crisis Line – 241-0400

The mental Health Crisis Services (MHCS) provides residents of Ottawa, age 16 and older who are experiencing a mental health crisis, with a crisis telephone line and mobile outreach service. The MHCS offers crisis intervention, support and community links to consumers and their family members and works to enable individuals in crisis to remain in their own environment.

Program goals

• To enhance continuity of care and coordination of mental health services in Ottawa.
• To improve access to mental health services in the community for individuals and families experiencing a mental health crisis.
• To link individuals living in unsupportive environments or persons unable or unwilling to use traditional crisis services to appropriate community agencies or groups in an effort to prevent further mental health crisis or relapse.
• To decrease hospital utilization by persons in mental health crisis by facilitating early intervention, stabilization, community reintegration and support.

What services do MHCS provide?

The Crisis Telephone Line

The crisis counsellor will respond to calls on the MHCS crisis line and provide crisis intervention, support and referral regarding the mental health concern. If all crisis lines are busy, calls are routed to a crisis voice mailbox which is checked before a counsellor proceeds to the next call.

The Mobile Team

The mobile team, consisting of a crisis counsellor and a plain clothes police officer in an unmarked car, will respond to crisis calls in the individual's environment. They will provide intervention, support, and referral.

How long will it take the MHCS to respond?

If you call and all of our crisis lines are busy, your call will go into a voice mailbox where you can leave a message. The crisis line mailbox is checked frequently per shift but response time will vary depending on the availability of a crisis line counseller.

MHCS mobile unit response will depend on how busy the unit is and how far the mobile unit might have to travel to respond to the call. There are two units working with the City of Ottawa limits at any given time during the MHCS hours of operation.

Who does the MHCS provide service to?

Persons aged 16 or older residing in Ottawa who are experiencing a mental health crisis including:

• Suicidal persons
• Persons who suffer from serious mental illness and can no longer function/cope to ensure their self-care is maintained.
• Families attempting to cope with a relative in their environment who is in crisis due to a mental health problem.

When NOT to call the MHCS

• When weapons are involved.
• When a serious criminal event has occurred.
• When there is an overriding medical concern (e.g., attempted suicide which has resulted in injury to the individual and where transportation by ambulance is required).

The MHCS will respond to calls based upon the level of risk to the individual or family member. Calls will be reviewed on an individual basis by MHCS Crisis Counsellors.

Post-crisis follow-up and referrals.

Post-crisis follow-up for MHCS clients will occur within 24 hours of the crisis situation.

Post-crisis follow-up will include linkages to other community resources such as family physicians and other health care and service providers.

(The MHCS is funded by the MOHLTC through the Ottawa Hospital. The MHCS is part of the Sandy