Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch

What Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch does

CMHA Ottawa is an independent, community-based non-profit organization (registered charity #106863657 RR0001) that provides mental health, housing, and substance use services to eligible individuals in the Ottawa and Champlain region. Its primary population is people aged 16-64 with severe and persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorder, many of whom are chronically homeless or vulnerably housed. The organization also serves repeat emergency department users through its Familiar Faces program and operates culturally tailored programming for Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, and men's mental health populations, with approximately 11% of clients identifying as Indigenous versus 3.2% of the Ottawa population.

The core service is Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS) intensive case management, for which CMHA Ottawa is the designated central access point in the Champlain region, coordinating intake and delivery through a consortium of local partner agencies. Adjacent clinical offerings include Concurrent Disorder Treatment (CBT, DBT, peer-based recovery), Dual Diagnosis Services, Community Support Services, and Peer Support. Public-facing access platforms include AccessMHA (web-based single point of entry for Eastern Ontario) and Counselling Connect (same-day phone/video counselling). The organization also runs a fee-based Learning Centre offering ASIST, Mental Health Works, Motivational Interviewing, and Concurrent Disorder training, and stewards the national Canadian Housing First Network. The underlying clinical technology is grounded in evidence-based frameworks (Housing First, ACT, ICM, trauma-informed care) rather than AI/ML systems; service delivery is bilingual (English and French).

CMHA Ottawa employs 97 people and is headquartered at 311 McArthur Avenue in the Vanier area of Ottawa. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, but the model is a hybrid of three streams: (1) Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funding for MHCSS and related programs, (2) charitable donations processed through CanadaHelps (with discretionary giving across peer support, homeless programs, research, Recovery College, public education, and subsidized training), and (3) training program fees with subsidized rates for low-income individuals and non-profit staff. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by Chair Peter Donnelly and CEO Dr. Susan Farrell, and is operationally independent of the national CMHA federation.

Name

Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch

Legal name

Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch

Website

https://ottawa.cmha.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CMHA Ottawa is a community-based non-profit providing mental health, housing, and substance use services to Ottawa-area individuals with severe mental illness, many experiencing homelessness. It operates as the central access point for intensive case management in the Champlain region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

Keywords

• Mental health services
• Community case management
• Suicide prevention training
• Substance use treatment
• Supportive housing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: CMHA Ottawa receives operational funding from government sources including the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for providing Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS), intensive case management, and other mental health programs in the Champlain region.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization accepts charitable donations through CanadaHelps platform. Donations of $20 or more receive automatic charitable receipts. Donors can direct funds to areas of greatest need, peer support services, integrated programs for homeless individuals, staff wellness, research and evaluation, Recovery College, public education, suicide prevention, or subsidized training fees.
3. Training Program Fees: CMHA Ottawa offers fee-based training programs including Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Mental Health Works, Motivational Interviewing, Advanced Motivational Interviewing, and Integrated Treatment for Concurrent Disorders. Programs offered September to June with registration via online system. Subsidized training fees available for people with low incomes or non-profit agency staff.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CMHA Ottawa is an independent, community-based non-profit that serves as the central access point for Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS) and intensive case management in the Champlain/Ottawa region. It delivers evidence-informed clinical and peer-support programs for individuals aged 16-64 with severe and persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorder, many of whom are experiencing chronic homelessness. The organization additionally operates a Learning Centre offering fee-based training programs (e.g., ASIST, Mental Health Works, Motivational Interviewing) and hosts the Canadian Housing First Network.

Product overview

CMHA Ottawa operates as a community-based non-profit organization providing an integrated suite of mental health, housing, and substance use services rather than a traditional product company. The core offering is Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS), a centralized intensive case management program that coordinates services through a consortium of local agencies for individuals aged 16-64 with severe and persistent mental illness experiencing homelessness. This core service is supported by specialized clinical programs including Concurrent Disorder Treatment (offering CBT, DBT, and peer groups) and Dual Diagnosis Services. The organization also operates public-facing access platforms — AccessMHA (web-based referral gateway) and Counselling Connect (same-day phone/video counselling) — alongside its training division offering ASIST suicide prevention, Mental Health Works, and Motivational Interviewing programs. CMHA Ottawa additionally hosts the Canadian Housing First Network, a national knowledge exchange for Housing First homelessness interventions. The MHCSS Eligibility Referral Form serves as the intake mechanism for all services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mental Health Community Support Services (MHCSS)

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 11% of CMHA Ottawa clients identify as Indigenous, compared to 3.2% of Ottawa's general population

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CAEH became an additional sponsor of the Canadian Housing First Network (CHFN) when it transitioned to a national level in 2022. CHFN is one of several Allied Networks under CAEH. Tim Richter represents CAEH on the CHFN Steering Committee.
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016CAMH's Evidence Exchange Network (EEnet) sponsored the launch of the Canadian Housing First Network Community of Interest in 2016. CAMH continues to sponsor the network. Nick Kerman represents CAMH on the CHFN Steering Committee.
• AccessMHAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessMHA is a web-based service providing a single point of entry to Eastern Ontario's system of care for mental health and addictions. CMHA Ottawa refers clients to AccessMHA for free mental health and/or substance use support, services, and care navigation.
• Counselling ConnectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of community mental health and addiction counselling service providers in Ottawa. CMHA Ottawa refers clients to Counselling Connect for free same-day or next-day phone or video counselling sessions available in several languages.
• BounceBack Ontario (CMHA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBounceBack is a free skill-building program managed by CMHA (national) designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression and anxiety, stress or worry. Delivered over the phone with a coach and through online videos.
• Family Services Ottawa - Around the RainbowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2025, CMHA Ottawa staff completed mandatory 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusive practices training with Lisa Montroy from Around the Rainbow (Family Services Ottawa) to strengthen awareness, challenge biases, and build practical skills for providing safe, inclusive care.
• MHCSS Consortium AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIntensive case management services are provided by a consortium of local agencies that strive to provide language-, culture- and program-specific access to ICM for qualifying individuals in the Ottawa area.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Pathstone Mental Health: Pathstone Mental Health provides community-based mental health services for children, youth, and families across the Niagara/Haldimand region. It is comparable in delivery model (community-based case management, counseling, and peer support) and funding mix, but serves a different Ontario region rather than competing head-to-head with CMHA Ottawa.

Others

• ConnexOntario: ConnexOntario operates a province-wide information and referral helpline for mental health, addictions, and problem gambling services. It serves a parallel front-door navigation function to CMHA Ottawa's AccessMHA and Counselling Connect partnerships, though at provincial scale rather than regional.
• Children's Mental Health Ontario: CMHO is the association representing Ontario's child and youth mental health service providers. CMHA Ottawa's MHCSS targets ages 16-64, placing it at the older end of a continuum that CMHO's members serve on the younger end, with overlapping provincial funding dynamics.
• Canadian Mental Health Association National: The national CMHA federation is the umbrella organization that CMHA Ottawa operates within and that administers BounceBack Ontario. It is not a direct service competitor but sets standards, advocacy priorities, and shared program infrastructure that shape CMHA Ottawa's operating environment.

Direct peers

• Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health: Wabano delivers culturally safe primary care, mental health, and community programs for Indigenous people in Ottawa. It overlaps with CMHA Ottawa's Indigenous client segment, where 11% of CMHA Ottawa's caseload identifies as Indigenous, and represents an alternative culturally-grounded provider in the same city.
• Shepherds of Good Hope: Shepherds of Good Hope operates shelters, supportive housing, and addiction services for people experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges in Ottawa. It is one of the principal partner agencies in CMHA Ottawa's MHCSS consortium and serves overlapping clients with complementary housing-focused services.
• Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto Branch: The Toronto branch of CMHA offers the closest parallel to CMHA Ottawa, delivering community-based mental health, housing, and substance use services through a similar MHCSS-style intake model, peer support, and training programs in a different Canadian city. It is the most structurally comparable peer in the same national network.
• Ottawa Inner City Health: Ottawa Inner City Health provides healthcare, including mental health and addictions support, to people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa, often in shelter and supportive housing settings. It overlaps directly with CMHA Ottawa's chronic homelessness and concurrent disorder population within the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): CAMH is Canada's largest mental health and addictions teaching hospital and research centre, and a strategic partner of CMHA Ottawa through its Evidence Exchange Network sponsorship of the Canadian Housing First Network. It operates at provincial and national scale with inpatient, outpatient, and research capabilities well beyond CMHA Ottawa's community-based scope.
• Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences: Ontario Shores is a specialty mental health hospital in Whitby providing inpatient and outpatient services across a broader range of psychiatric conditions. It represents the higher-acuity institutional tier of the Ontario mental health system that CMHA Ottawa's community-based services feed into and complement.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cmhaottawa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch