Centretown’s mental health crisis line launches Thursday [Video]

A pilot project to provide teams of social workers who can respond to mental health and substance use crises begins operating today.

Known as the Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response or ANCHOR program, it will give residents the ability to call 2-1-1 to request a mobile crisis team for themselves or someone else in a mental health or substance use crisis instead of police.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at how the program will work:

Where will the program operate?

The program will only operate in Centretown to start. The defined boundaries are the Ottawa River in the north, the Rideau Canal in the east, Highway 417 in the south and Preston Street in the west.

The ANCHOR program will operate in Centretown to start.