This resource list was prepared with the assistance of Voices for Mental Health (with thanks). This is not an exhaustive list and over time some of the links or programs may not be up to date. The information contained in this list is for informational purposes only.

Other than the Voices for Mental Health Peer Support Group, I have no connection to these groups.  Therefore, I cannot speak to their services or effectiveness.  My hope is that the list will be of some assistance.

Table of contents

1- CRISIS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
    Crisis Resources | CAMH includes a full directory of: Distress Lines, 24/7 Mobile Crisis Response Teams, Community Crisis Supports and Specialized Resources for racialized and marginalized groups in the GTA, York Region, Peel Region, Hamilton and Halton. The CAMH Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is located at 1051 Queen Street West, Toronto. CAMH also offers a range of clinical care services including emergency services, assessments, brief interventions, and inpatient programs. To access CAMH Clinical Services Call 416-535-8501, press 2. Intake line is staffed 24/7.

  • 211 Central | Mental Health / Addictions Services Directory and Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS)– City of Toronto
    TCCS sends out non-police-led, community-based, client focused, and trauma-informed rmobile crisis teams to provide a community-based support for people who are in crisis or who need a wellbeing check, without involving the police. TCCS also provides referrals and connections to other services, information, resources and post crisis follow up support. Call 211 to be Connected to TCCS crisis workers. Outside Toronto city limits Telephone: 1-800-836-3238

  • ConnexOntario | Mental Health & Addiction Treatment Services
    Free, confidential 24/7 support for adults experiencing mental health concerns, including crisis intervention and guidance to local resources and services and access to all levels of intervention and care related to mental health and addiction throughout Ontario. Available 24/7 by telephone, text, email or live chat.
    Telephone: 1-866-531-2600 Text: text CONNEX to 247247
    Live Chat and email: Request Help by Emailing ConnexOntario

  • Gerstein Crisis Centre Support Call 416-929-5200 Crisis workers are available 24/7.
    Gerstein helps callers work out effective ways of addressing their immediate concerns and connects them to services that offer ongoing support. While based in Toronto, they will talk to anyone, including from outside the GTA. Family, friends and service providers may also refer people to Gerstein by calling their Referral Line at 416-929-0149. This line may at times be answered by voicemail. Your call will be returned by a member of the Crisis Team within the hour.

  • Distress Centres Of Greater Toronto Trained volunteer responders, specializing in abuse, suicide intervention and emotional support, offer support 24/7.
    Distress Centres Helpline: 416-408-4357 See website for more information about their multilingual helplines.

  • Get Help | 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline Call or text 9-8-8 for 24-hour trauma-informed and culturally affirming support to anyone who is in crisis, thinking of suicide, or who is worried about someone they know.

  • Kids Help Phone: free, confidential, multilingual e-mental health and crisis support available 24/7. Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868 (youth) or 741741 (adults)

If you are in an emergency crisis situation you call 911 for Emergency Medical Services or go to your local hospital emergency room.

2- GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

3- ADDICTION AND RECOVERY RESOURCES

a. Substance Use Medical Clinics and Service Directories

  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) – Programs & Services | CAMH
    Clinical care services, medications, therapies, programs, support groups and resources for patients and their families related to addiction recovery, substance abuse and mental health, including emergency services. COMPASS (Concurrent Outpatient Medical & Psychosocial Addiction Support Services) is an outpatient CAMH service for people with addiction/concurrent disorders seeking assessment and/or outpatient treatment involving medical and/or psychosocial interventions. From the GTA: 416 535-8501 press 2 Toll-free: 1 800 463-2338

  • Women’s College Hospital Substance Use Service and Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM Clinic) In-person and virtual care by doctors and addiction specialists to people seeking information or assistance regarding substance use and addiction. Substance Use Service clinic is available to individuals over 16 by appointment. Phone: 416-323-7559 x 6

  • RAAM Clinic also sees walk-in patients requiring urgent assessment on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10am-12pm without an appointment. RAAM Clinic Location: 76 Grenville St, Floor 3 Phone: 416-323-7559 x 6

  • Connex Ontario- Addictions Services Complete directory of services and non-judgemental addiction support options available in Ontario including drug and alcohol education, addiction crisis intervention, harm reduction services, withdrawal management, addiction counselling, intensive/bed-based treatment, family support, and more. Phone: 1-866-531-2600 or Text “CONNEX” to 247247.
    Contact Us | ConnexOntario for Live Chat and Email options.

  • Mental Health / Addictions – Community mental health services – 211 Central | 211 Central – directory of local addiction supports and services in the GTA.

b. Addiction Recovery Meetings and Peer Support Groups:

4- BEREAVEMENT/LOSS RESOURCES

5- SUPPORT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

  • Aboriginal Health Access Centres | Alliance for Healthier Communities
    Aboriginal community-led primary health care organizations providing primary care, traditional healing, addiction support programs, mental health counselling, dieticians, social workers and more. Contact an Aboriginal Health Access Centre to book an appointment.

  • Hope for Wellness Helpline: Experienced and culturally competent counsellors, available 24/7 to Indigenous people across Canada. Call 1-855-242-3310 Telephone and online chat services are available in English and French. Telephone support available on request in Cree, Ojibway (Anishinaabemowin), and Inuktitut.

  • Talk 4 Healing Helpline: 24/7 support to Indigenous women by Indigenous women.  Services are grounded in Indigenous culture, wisdom and tradition and are available in Oji-Cree, Ojibway, Cree, Algonquin, Inuktitut, Mohawk, Oneida, Odawa, Potawatomi, Micmac, Black Foot, Anishinaabe, Moose Cree, Swampy Cree and English and French Phone: 1-855-554-HEAL (4325), Text: 1-855-554-HEAL (4325), Chat: talk4healing.com

  • Indigenous Mental Health and Wellness Program (OFIFC): provides wholistic and culture-based mental health and addictions supports for urban Indigenous individuals and families, with a focus on trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches. Services include individual and group services including peer counselling, sharing circles and other traditional and land-based activities that support the achievement of a Good Mind. Phone: 416-956-7575 or 1-800-772-9291 Email: ofifc@ofifc.org

  • ACCESS Open Minds | Youth Mental Health Canada: culturally and contextually relevant youth mental health and wellness resources, events, and services with and for First Nations, Inuit, Métis young people.

6- SUPPORT FOR RACIALIZED PEOPLE

  • Across Boundaries: Mental health and addiction services for racialized communities. Services are anchored in an anti-racist, anti-Black racism and anti-oppression framework, including individual support, groups alternative and complementary therapies, community outreach, skills building, social and recreational activities. Intake and program information Phone: (416) 787-3007 ext. 222

  • Black Mental Health Canada: culturally safe, accessible and affordable mental health care to the diverse Black communities in Canada. Searchable Practitioners Directory to connect people with the specialized mental health support they need.

  • Caribbean African Canadian Social Services: culturally sensitive counseling and support groups designed to address a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and more, through a lens that respects and acknowledges cultural contexts. Phone: 416-740-1056 Email: info@cafcan.org

  • COSTI Immigrant Services: Community-based multicultural agency providing many services, including family and mental health services and comprehensive social services for immigrant communities and new Canadians including settlement, housing, domestic violence and support for seniors, youth and women. Email: info@costi.org Phone: 416-658-1600

  • Hong Fook Mental Health Association: Ethno-cultural mental health agency providing a continuum of mental health services to Asian and other communities in the Greater Toronto Area. Contact Us – Hong Fook Association

  • Leena | Virtual Mental Health & Therapy Services for BIPOC individuals: the largest BIPOC focused mental health platform in Canada. Includes a large network of therapists a free consultation and access to an online matching tool or connect with a care coordinator to find the right therapist to fit client needs and lived experience.

  • Roots Community Services Inc. Partners with government and community service agencies and businesses to provide culturally sensitive and enriching programs to the Black African and Caribbean communities in the Region of Peel and Halton Region. Telephone Support Line: 647-812-8545.

  • SACHSS – South Asian Canadians Health & Social Services: provides mental health and addiction programs in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, Gujarati, Malayalam, Sindhi, Arabic, and English for men, women, seniors, children and youth. Services are open to South Asian and all other communities and include individual, group, couple, family, children and youth counselling related to mental health and addiction issues, stress management, anger management and counselling services for people who have legal problems and court mandated counselling and treatment. Distress Helpline: 647-367-4452 or 416-863-0511

  • South Asian Community Health Services: offers culturally and linguistically appropriate services, for South Asian men, women, seniors and youth, and other communities. Services include Mental Health, Addiction, Community Eye Care, Women’s Health Services, Stress Management, Anger Management as well as related treatment and counseling services for those mandated by the legal system. Phone: 647-718-0786

  • Tropicana Community Services: culturally appropriate and supportive programs with a predominant focus on the Black, African, and Caribbean communities of Toronto, including counselling, settlement services, childcare, education, personal development, and employment, tutoring, youth camps and leadership programs, aggression management. Contact Us – Tropicana Community

7- SUPPORT FOR 2SLGBTQQIA+ PERSONS

8- SUPPORTS FOR WOMEN AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING ABUSE

  • Assaulted Women’s Helpline: anonymous and confidential crisis counselling, safety planning, emotional support, information and referrals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all women in Ontario who have experienced any form of abuse. Services are also available at all times for women who are deaf, deaf-blind and hard of hearing. Phone: 416 863-0511; 1-866-863-0511, TTY: 1-866-863-7868

  • Victim Services Toronto: The Victim Crisis Response Program provides immediate on-scene crisis response, intervention, and prevention services to victims, survivors, family members and witnesses of crime and sudden tragedies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Also provides follow-up referrals to a wide range of programs, services and counselling. The Crisis Response team pairs a Crisis Counsellor with expertise in trauma management and crisis intervention with a trained volunteer. The Crisis Response Program is reflective of the diverse communities in Toronto and provides services in over 35 languages. Phone: 416-808-7066

  • Toronto Rape Crisis Centre/Multicultural Women Against Rape: confidential crisis intervention and support services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to: anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or experienced physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, ritual or financial abuse; anyone who has had unwanted sexual touching; incest survivors; survivors of childhood and adult sexual assault and family and/or friends. Referrals can be made to other services. Phone: 416-597-8808

  • Women’s College Hospital Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care Centre – comprehensive and acute service for individuals of all genders and gender identities over the age of 16 who are victims/survivors of sexual assault and domestic/intimate partner violence. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No appointment necessary. Phone: 416-323-6040.

  • The Jean Tweed Centre – For Women and Their Families provides treatment, support and a safe place for women looking to overcome challenges with substance use, gambling and mental health. Phone: 416-255-7359 email: info@jeantweed.com

9- VOICES FOR MENTAL HEALTH PEER TO PEER SUPPORT GROUP

Voices for Mental Health offers a weekly confidential peer run support group for Ontario Public Sector (OPS) employees.  We meet every Thursday at 1:00pm on TEAMS.

  • You can use this link or www.tiny.cc/OPS-MW to access the Teams meeting. More information and access to the Voices for Mental health peer support group for OPS employees, as well as information and links to other virtual and in-person peer support groups open to the general public, can be found online here: Mental Wellness – Peer Support Groups.

10- SUPPORT FOR MUSLIMS

  • Canadian Muslim Counselling: provides a range of services including mental health and counselling services in the form of individual therapy, premarital counselling, marital and family therapy, and religious counselling. Phone:  437-866-6309 email: info@muslimcounselling.ca

  • ISNA Cares | ISNA Canada: offers various types of community supports including confidential mental health or Islamic support designed to meet client needs including crises, stress, grief, bereavement, individual and family counselling. Available by Phone: 647-370-7616, Email: info@isnacares.ca and text: Contact Us | ISNA Cares

  • Khalil Center: psychological and spiritual community wellness center advancing mental health rooted in Islamic principles, offers counselling, religious consultation, psychiatric services, psychological assessments, premarital coaching and career counselling. Phone: (416) 901-2244 Email: info@khalilcenter.com

  • Naseeha Mental Health (helpline, text line & web counselling)
    Confidential Islam-inspired helpline 1 (866) 627-3342 available 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week and virtual therapy options for anyone experiencing mental and emotional distress. Available to Muslims and non-Muslims.  Email: info@naseeha.net

  • Nisa Foundation and Helpline: provides various programs and services including peer counselling, emotional and spiritual support for Muslim women and children across North America. Phone: 1-888-711-6472 email: info@nisafoundation.ca

11- SUPPORT FOR JEWISH PEOPLE

12- SUPPORT FOR SENIORS

  • Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health (CCSMH): connects seniors in Canada with mental health services and information to improve quality of care. Areas of focus include anxiety, behavioural symptoms of dementia, delirium, depression, mental health in long-term care, social isolation and loneliness.
    Toll-free number:  1.888.214.7080 extension 102 Email: info@ccsmh.ca
    CCSMH does not provide counselling services. To reach a local crisis line call 1-833-456-4566, tollfree anywhere in Canada.

  • Toronto Seniors Helpline/ Woodgreen Crisis Outreach Services for Seniors: Phone: 416-217-2077 provides information about home care and community care, and offers over-the-phone supportive counselling, de-escalation, and safety planning to seniors in emotional distress or crisis from 9:00am to 8:00pm Monday to Friday and 10:00am to 6:00pm on weekends. The helpline can connect callers to Woodgreen’s mobile crisis intervention and outreach service for adults 65+ with dementia, addictions or mental illness who need temporary, short-term support. The mobile crisis team is available 365 days a year from 9:00am-5:00pm.

13- SUPPORT FOR YOUTH

14- RESOURCES PROVIDED BY LEGAL ORGANIZATIONS

a. Law Society of Ontario

  • LSO Member Assistance Program
    Confidential service funded by and independent of the LSO, provided by Homewood Health offering counselling, life coaching, and online resources including health and wellness assessments and e-courses provided by trained, experienced therapists available to assist with a variety of topics including stress, anxiety, substance abuse, burnout, marital and family issues, depression, anger, career, grief and more. Call 1-855-403-8922

  • LSO Peer Support Program
    Peer-to-peer support for lawyers and paralegals struggling with addiction, mental health, career, family or other issues. Offers a one-on-one connection with a colleague who has faced similar challenges. Ongoing training is provided to all peer volunteers That peer provides support, compassion, empathy, non-judgmental guidance and selective personal experience, where appropriate. Call 1-855-403-8922 Email: peervolunteer@peoplecorporation.com

b. Ontario Bar Association

15- ONTARIO PUBLIC SERVICE (OPS) RESOURCES

16- MEDICAL & OTHER PROFESSIONALS

  • your family physician
  • psychotherapist*
  • psychologist
  • psychiatrist
  • alternative health care providers
  • registered social worker*

*Note there are psychotherapists and registered social workers who are former lawyers and provide specialized counselling services to lawyers and law students.