Mental health, addictions and substance use health in the community

If you are in crisis, please contact the mental health crisis line (24 hours a day/7 days a week) at 613-722-6914 or if outside Ottawa toll-free at 1-866-996-0991.

The dashboard will be updated quarterly where possible. Certain data will be updated less frequently.

Last updated: October 2024

Next expected update: November 2024

To learn about the dashboard and how to use it, watch the following video.

View the video in full screen mode: How to use the Mental Health and Substance Use Health Dashboard.

More information and links to different services, resources, reports, and other data sources that relate to each domain can be found below.

About the dashboard

What is a community-based dashboard?

The dashboard is a community driven tool, built by community partners, for the community. This dashboard was born out of the recommendations from the Ottawa Community Action Plan Summit in 2019 and is a result of a multi-year collaboration between members of the Overdose Prevention and Response Task Force including CAPSA, The Royal, AccessMHA, The Kids Come First Health Team, 1Call1Click.ca and various other health, social services, people with lived and living expertise, first responder, hospital partners and networks, with Ottawa Public Health providing the backbone support.

Why was this dashboard created?

The goal of the dashboard is to improve the health status of the people of Ottawa in relation to mental health, addictions, and substance use health by centralizing and showcasing local data to support further action. This tool can be used to identify needs, inform systems and service planning and contribute to building long-term promotion and prevention strategies in the community.

How was the dashboard framed?

The objectives were to develop a dashboard that presented 1) community level data on mental health, addictions and substance use health issues 2) the needs of people in the community including a targeted look at data related to the overdose crisis, and 3) data on the root causes of poor health. The MHASUH dashboard is framed by 4 domains. The first 3 domains, depicted as the branches of a tree, look at key factors that impact mental health, addictions and substance use health. These factors include needs, harms, stigma and access to health and social services. Domain 4, depicted as the roots of a tree, shows key factors that are the root causes of poor health and influence the wellbeing of every person in our community.

Graphic outlining the different domains of the dashboard

A note on terminology/language

Person-first language is used throughout the dashboard. That is, we talk about people who may have certain behaviours and don’t define people by their behaviour. However, some data sources include pre-existing language.

Supporting documents

Keyboard shortcuts in Power BI reports
Mental health, addictions and substance use health dashboard user guide (PDF - 1 MB).
Child and Youth Data Navigation Tool (PDF - 963 KB)
Technical notes (PDF - 388 KB).

Contributing and consulting partners

Members of the Overdose Prevention and Response Task Force have been instrumental in the development and ongoing implementation of this tool. OPH would like to thank all of the many engaged community partners who have contributed and continue to contribute data, knowledge, and expertise.

Table of contents

Table of contents
Domain	Field	Topic Areas
Are people well?	Do people feel well?	Self-reported mental health Self-reported substance use
	Do people have access to preventative supports?	Access to primary care People who want mental health supports, but don’t know where to turn
	Are people experiencing harms from unmet needs?	Mental health and substance use health related Emergency Department (ED) visits Self-harm ED visits Drug overdose ED visits and suspected deaths Opioid overdose related ED visits Opioid related overdose deaths Suicide deaths
Are people free from stigma?	Do people know about mental health, addictions and substance use health?	Substance use health and mental health stigma in Ottawa
Are people free from stigma?	Are people safe and supported in health care and community services?	Results from the Mental Health of Ottawa’s Black Community research study
Can people access treatment and services?	Do people have access to harm reduction services?	Needle and Syringe Program Naloxone training and kit distribution Supervised consumption and treatment site services Safer Supply services in Ottawa
	Are people getting brief counselling and being referred to the services they need?	Brief counselling services Referrals to system navigators Youth access to mental health supports and crisis lines
	Can people get services when and where they need them?	Residents reaching out for system navigation Top presenting problems and needs by system navigator Referrals to services Wait times for services
	Are people and families supported by the health and social services they need?	Unmet needs Children, youth and families reaching out for mental health and substance use health supports Barriers to accessing supports as identified by rural youth
Do people live with opportunity and equality?	Are children and their families safe and well?	Early development instrument Food insecurity for families and youth Families experiences with homelessness Youth feelings of safety
	Do people have what they need?	Life satisfaction Identified needs Food insecurity Peoples experiences with homelessness
	Do people feel connected to each other?	Sense of community belonging Social connections of youth Social media and screen time for youth
	Do people live in safety and equality?	Health and safety challenges identified by people who are experiencing homelessness Police reported crime

Open data

The following data tables are available for download on Open Ottawa:

Please use the following citation when referencing this dashboard: Ottawa Public Health. Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health Community Dashboard. Ottawa, ON. Last updated April 2024.

To enter the Power BI report from the Mental Health, Addictions, and Substance Use Health in the Community webpage using a keyboard, press Tab once after the “full screen mode” link and press Ctrl + Enter. A small box will appear in the top left corner of the report. Press Tab three times to navigate through the options and you will then be inside the report. From here you can navigate the content of the report using Tab and the other keyboard shortcuts enumerated in the Keyboard Shortcuts document.

Having trouble viewing the report? Try viewing the report in full screen mode.

Watercolour art of a person

Are people well?

Services and Resources

Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, Public Summary: Drinking Less Is Better (Infographic) - Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA)
Canada’s Lower-Risk Cannabis Guidelines - Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
Harm Reduction Websites
- Harm Reduction Services in Ottawa
- Stop Overdose Ottawa

Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines - Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA)

Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health Services and Resources - Ottawa Public Health

Reports and other Data Sources

2022 Evaluation Report - Safer Supply Ottawa
Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health: Final Report - Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA)