MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS LINES
This is Canada’s newer, easy-to-remember number you can call or text anytime if someone is in a mental health crisis.
What is 988?
A go-to national helpline offering 24/7 support for young people through phone, text, and online chat.
What is Kids Help Phone?
Calling this number connects people in Toronto with emergency shelter beds.
What is Central Intake?
The number everyone knows—used for emergencies requiring police, fire, or ambulance.
What is 911?
This Ontario line helps people find mental health and addiction services quickly.
What is ConnexOntario?
A well-known Toronto crisis service where you can talk to someone 24/7 and even have a mobile crisis team come to you.
What is the Gerstein Crisis Centre?
This Toronto organization focuses on LGBTQ2S+ youth and offers a safe space, housing, and crisis support.
What is Friends of Ruby?
These shelters across the GTA provide safe spaces for women, children, and non-binary folks escaping violence.
What are VAW (Violence Against Women) shelters?
In Peel Region, this team sends mental health workers with police to respond to crisis calls.
What is COAST?
These sites allow people to use substances under supervision to reduce harm and prevent overdose.
What are supervised consumption sites?
Canadian youth can text “HOME” to this number to get quick, confidential support.
What is 686868?
A major downtown Toronto agency helping youth experiencing homelessness with shelter, crisis care, and life skills.
What is Covenant House?
A Toronto program that offers temporary hotel stays for people needing emergency housing.
What is the SSHA hotel program?
If it’s not an emergency but you still need police assistance in Toronto, you call this number.
What is 416-808-2222?
This medication can reverse an opioid overdose and is available for free in many Ontario pharmacies.
What is Naloxone?
This Ontario phone line connects you with mental health and addiction information and can bring an interpreter if needed.
What is ConnexOntario?
A walk-in counselling program across the GTA where youth and families can get free same-day mental health support.
What is What’s Up Walk-In?
This organization supports youth (usually 16–24) with housing, crisis intervention, and mental health services.
What is LOFT Youth Services?
Toronto’s supervised consumption sites fall under this category of health service, aimed at preventing overdoses.
What are Consumption & Treatment Services (CTS)?
A Toronto Public Health program that provides harm-reduction supplies, safer drug-use resources, and outreach.
What is The Works?
This service pairs healthcare workers with police officers to respond to mental health-related 911 calls in Toronto.
What is the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT)?
A service that provides culturally relevant crisis support and guidance specifically for Black youth in Canada.
What is the Black Youth Helpline?
A housing approach that focuses on getting people into stable homes first, then providing wrap-around support.
What is the Housing First model?
This community-led program responds to mental health crises without involving the police.
What is the Toronto Community Crisis Service?
This phone-based service supports people who use drugs by providing virtual overdose monitoring.
What is the National Overdose Response Service (NORS)?