If you need emergency help, please call 911, go to your local emergency department, or call a local distress centre or crisis service.
Please note that in addition to the two statutory holidays on Dec. 25 and 26, regular services at The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health are on pause on Dec. 23, 24 and 27. During this period, clients experiencing stress are reminded to refer to the cope ahead and safety plans that they have developed with their therapists.
These crisis services are available throughout the holiday season:
Assaulted Women’s Helpline: 416-863-0511; Toll-free: 1-866-863-0511, available 24/7
Community Crisis Program, Scarborough Health Network: 416-495-2891, available 24/7 Service borders: south to the lake, north to Steeles Avenue, east to Port Union Road, and west to Victoria Park
Distress Centres of Greater Toronto: 416-408-4357 or 408-HELP, available 24/7
Gerstein Crisis Centre: 416-929-5200, available 24/7
Good2Talk provides free, confidential support services for students in Ontario 1-866-925-5454; text GOOD2TALKON to 686868, available 24/7
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868; Languages: English and French, available 24/7
Suicide crisis helpline: call or text 9-8-8, available 24/7
Toronto Community Crisis Service: Call 211– for those 16 and over, available 24/7, a non-police, community-led service which provides mental health support for you or someone you know. The TCCS is a community-based service that dispatches trained teams of crisis workers to respond to non-emergency calls from people in crisis and requests for well-being checks, using a client-centred, trauma-informed approach.
Youthdale Crisis Service Line Team: 416-363-9990, available 24/7
Other mental health services (contact for availability):
One Stop Talk Check website for availability to talk with a therapist, available by chat, phone or email; 1-855-416-8255
What’s Up Walk-In Several locations in Toronto – check website for availability for walk-in or virtual single solution-focused sessions
The Garry Hurvitz Centre for Community Mental Health at SickKids provides a comprehensive range of early intervention and prevention programs, as well as child and family therapy, outreach, and intensive service. The Centre is part of the mental health continuum of services including psychiatry and the TeleLink Mental Health Program at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
If you are looking for our Intensive Services for Children or Intensive Services for Youth , contact Help Ahead, the central point of intake for intensive mental health services for infants, children, youth and their families in Toronto. You may contact them by phone at 1-866-585-6486 or email helpahead@stridestoronto.ca.
To access our Individual and Family Services, please call our Mental Health Access Program at 416-924-1164, ext. 8708 to discuss service options for your family.
For information regarding all Toronto child mental health services, visit Help Ahead.
