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: November 2023

Next expected update: February 2024

The mental health, addictions and substance use health community dashboard is framed by 4 domains. The first 3 domains, shown in the branches of the 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, shown in the roots of the tree, shows key factors that are the root causes of poor health and influence the wellbeing of every person in our community.

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

Graphic outlining the different domains of the dashboard

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 Ottawa Community Action Plan Steering Committee Partners (The Community Addictions Peer Support Association, The Royal, AccessMHA, The Kids Come First Health Team, The Ottawa Hospital, The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions, and The Canadian Public Health Association) and various health, social services, lived and living experience, first responder, hospital partners and networks, with Ottawa Public Health providing the backbone support.

The dashboard will change and build over time as different needs and opportunities arise.

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 framework of the dashboard is based on the three goals outlined in the Ottawa Community Action Plan which seek to reduce harms and negative health outcomes, including through emerging harm reduction initiatives, reducing stigma and increasing access and uptake of services by collaborating across the system of care. The fourth goal is built on the understanding that the root causes of ill health are foundational to the positive wellbeing of the community. Also, that some populations face greater barriers to health than others and are underserved by social services.

The Ottawa Community Action Plan steering committee partners have been instrumental in the development and ongoing implementation of this tool. OPH would like to thank all the Ottawa Community Action Plan steering committee partners and the many engaged community partners who have contributed and continue to contribute data, knowledge and expertise. The partners involved in the development are highlighted on the website and we thank them for their involvement.

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).
Technical notes (PDF - 425 KB). This document is currently not in an accessible format. An accessible document will be posted shortly.

Contributing and consulting partners

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?	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 November 2023.

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)