102 FEATURE
BUILDING A NEW APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE HEALTH USE CRISIS RESPONSE IN OTTAWA Reclaiming our ability to care for each other
W hen Abdirahman Abdi, a Somali-Canadian, died in 2016 after a violent encounter with Ottawa police, the city was forced to face an uncomfortable truth: our systems of mental health and substance use health crisis response were not keeping everyone safe and were in fact, causing trauma. Mr. Adbi’s death as well as the subsequent death of Greg Ritchie, an Indigenous resident of Ottawa in 2019, left us asking: How could this happen? And what needs to change so it never happens again? In the years that followed, community leaders, advocates, and service providers came together to imagine a different kind of response, one that begins with care and compassion, and has equity at its core. Out of that vision, the Ottawa Guiding Council for Mental Health and Addictions was formed. The Guiding Council includes representatives from networks and organizations across the city of Ottawa including the Ottawa Police Service , the City of Ottawa , Ottawa Public Health, Ottawa Paramedic Service , Tier 1 hospitals , represented by Queensway-
Carleton Hospital, the Canadian Mental Health Association – Ottawa branch, Kids Come First , the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Regio n, the Somali Centre for Family Services , the Community
strengths to the work. Sahada’s grounding in community development and equity and Liz’s expertise in mental health and facilitation created a model of shared stewardship. Together with our team, we endeavoured to embody the values the work itself strives for: equity, balance, humility, and mutual respect. It showed that when responsibility is shared, new possibilities for connection and impact emerge. From the beginning, we adopted a community development approach to consultation. Instead of imposing solutions, we built relationships. We engaged community champions who were trusted individuals rooted in diverse communities, and partnered with community-based facilitators and notetakers who could create safer spaces for honest dialogue. We also reached out to service providers across the sector, from paramedics and crisis line call takers to shelter workers and case managers. Nearly 1,200 people generously shared their experiences and ideas through focus groups, interviews, and online surveys. What emerged
Development Framework , the Coalition of Community
Health and Resource Centres of Ottawa , Le Réseau de Soutien à l’Immigration Francophone de l’Est de l’Ontario and the Ottawa Black Mental Health Coalition . Together, they represent 150 organizations across Ottawa and share a commitment to build a system that serves people in crisis with dignity and humanity. The Guiding Council is co-chaired by two incredible women: Michelle James and Marisa Moher and facilitated by the talented Joan Riggs, of Catalyst Communications and the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition. Secretariat established To support the Guiding Council’s work, a Secretariat was established to coordinate activities and ensure accountability. The Ottawa Police Service funded its first year. We were hired to co-lead the Secretariat, bringing different but deeply complementary
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software