Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises - closed

The Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype (the Prototype) has three key components:  

1. Call diversion (non-911 number): An alternate call intake, triage and dispatch system for mental health and substance use calls. This provides an option to residents seeking mental health and substance use crisis support to call a non-911 number directly. 

2. Response team: Community-based, civilian-led, multi-disciplinary and mobile crisis response teams that offer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, trauma-informed and culturally appropriate crisis response services in Centretown. Each crisis response team will have a peer support worker. The team can provide individuals with wrap-around supports providing a continuum of care with pathways to services. 

3. Wrap-around support system: Establishment of a network of supporting community agencies that operate within the Centretown area that can support clients on an ongoing basis to provide stability, system navigation and follow up support.  

Using this Request for Proposal, the Ottawa Guiding Council on Mental Health and Addictions and the City of Ottawa will select a non-for-profit health and/or social service organization to lead the delivery of the Response team and Wrap-around support system. This agency will be allocated funds to hire, manage and train crisis workers and to acquire necessary equipment and supplies to complete the work. In addition, they will be funded to support the establishment of the network of community agencies that will offer on-going wrap-around supports. 

The Request for Proposal is looking to find a not-for-profit health and/or social service organizations to lead the development and implementation of the Response Service Delivery pillar of the three-year Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to work with other not-for-profit organizations to carry out different aspects of the Prototype and include this information in its application. 

The Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype - Response Service Delivery funding is limited to applicants who are a not-for-profit corporation that:  

• Have been in existence for at least five years  

• Have an organizational mandate that aligns to the Community Funding Framework  

• Demonstrate financial viability   

• Operate in a non-discriminatory manner as set out by the Ontario Human Rights Code  

• Are governed by a democratically elected Board of Directors or Steering Committee  

• Are in good standing with the City of Ottawa 

• Are located in Ottawa and serve Centretown  

• Have status as a “health service provider” as defined in The People’s Health Care Act (2019).  

Please refer to Section 3.3 of the Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype - Response Service Delivery guidelines for additional key qualifications and experience that applicants should have.    

The application must include, but not be limited to:  

1. Applicants profile  
2. Written proposal  
3. Budget 
4. Most recent audited financial statement  
5. Consent form

Consult the Safer Alternate Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crises Prototype - Response Service Delivery guidelines for more information.  

Applications are closed.

All eligible applications will be assessed through an allocation committee process. The allocation committee members will review all proposals and score them in relation to the evaluation criteria.  

Once the Allocation Committee has completed their review and provided a final score for each application, the highest scoring agencies will be invited to an interview. Interviews will be held between December 5 and 7.

Final decisions will be communicated by December 15. The successful applicant is required to sign a contribution agreement stating the terms and conditions of the contribution. If you are approved for funding, you must provide a valid certificate of insurance that includes the City of Ottawa as an additional insured under your policy. 

For questions and inquiries on this funding process, email cswb/sbec@ottawa.ca.