Find Help

Most of us go through life solving our day-to-day problems without needing help to cope with our feelings. But a severe illness, an accident or an emotional crisis can overwhelm us, at least temporarily, and suddenly we need help. In this section, you will find resources and tips on getting help when you need it most.

If you or someone you know is in crisis and requires emergency assistance:

∙ Visit your local emergency department, or call 911

∙ Contact one of the Crisis Response Programs below:

Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 416-863-0511; Toll Free 1-866-863-0511 For more than 25 years, the Assaulted Women’s Helpline has served as a free, anonymous and confidential 24-hour telephone and TTY crisis telephone line to all women in the province of Ontario who have experienced any form of abuse.

Distress Centre: 416-408-HELP (4357) offers access to emotional support from the safety and security of the closest telephone. Callers can express their thoughts and feelings in confidence. Callers’ issues can include problems related to domestic violence, social isolation, suicide, addictions, mental and physical health concerns. The Distress Centre offers emotional support, crisis intervention, suicide prevention and linkage to emergency help when necessary.

Gerstein Centre: (416) 929-5200 provides crisis intervention to adults, living in the City of Toronto, who experience mental health problems. The service has three aspects; telephone support, community visits and a ten-bed, short-stay residence. All three aspects of the service are accessed through the crisis line.

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 is a free, anonymous and confidential phone and
on-line professional counselling service for youth. Big or small concerns. 24/7. 365 days a year.

York Support Services Network:  905-898-6455 If you, or someone you care about, are depressed, distressed, lonely, anxious, scared or angry, you can call York Support Services 24/7.  They have been serving York Region for over 15 years and have now expanded their telephone support to include North York.

Scarborough Hospital Mobile Crisis Program: 416-495-2891 provides Telephone Crisis Response and community crisis response to individuals over 16 years of age who are experiencing a mental health crisis in Scarborough and East York.

Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 provides nationwide, 24-hour, bilingual support to anyone who is facing suicide.

Toronto Seniors Helpline: 416-217-2077 is a specialized service for seniors in Toronto which provides assistance in stabilizing age-related mental health and addiction crises, risk and safety assessments, immediate referrals to community mobile crisis units, and support for families and caregivers

Toronto Rape Crisis Centre: 416-597-8808 is a grassroots collective working towards a violence-free world by providing anti-oppressive, feminist peer support to survivors of sexual violence through support, education and activism.  Callers can be anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused, women who have had unwanted sexual touching, incest survivors and friends or family.

Youthdale’s Crisis Support Team: (416) 363-9990 assesses each child’s risk and mental status through telephone interviews and if required, Mobile Response. This assessment will involve the parent or guardian and the professionals caring for the child. A Youthdale child psychiatrist is available to consult with the Crisis Support Team at all times. Any parent or legal guardian in Ontario can call the Youthdale Psychiatric Crisis Services and get immediate access to trained professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Emergency Shelter