Crisis and Non-Crisis Help Lines & Mental Health Resources for Youth

Asking for help can be hard, but you don’t have to face things alone. Reach out!

Crisis Services

If you are in crisis or have suicidal thoughts:

Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room.
Call the suicide prevention line at 1-866-APPELLE (277-3553).
Call Info-Social at 811, press option 2 to speak with a social worker 24/7.
Call the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region 24/7 at 613-238-3311.

Non-Crisis Helplines

If you need emotional support, or are feeling low or sad:

Talk to someone you trust, like a family member, friend or a guidance counsellor.
Call the Tel-jeunes Helpline at 1-800-263-2266 or text 514-600-1002.
Call, text or live chat with Kid’s Help Phone (ages 5-20) at 1-800-668-6868, or download the Always There app.
See your doctor to discuss your options for support.

Suicide, Mental Illness and Mental Health Resources

Centre intégré de santé et de service sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) – Youth Mental Health: Services offered by the youth mental health team are targeted at youths under 18 experiencing mild to moderate mental problems, affecting their functioning and development. The team is made up of qualified professionals (social workers, psycho-educators, psychologists).

Centre intégré de santé et de service sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) – Troubled Youth and Families: CISSSO offers psychosocial and psychological services for children aged 0 to 17 and to their parents facing personal, relationship or family problems, such as behavioural and self-esteem issues, adjustment difficulties, exposure to violence, etc.

Teen Mental Health help improve the mental health of youth by the effective translation and transfer of scientific knowledge. Our model is to use the best scientific evidence available to develop application-ready training programs, publications, tools and resources that can be applied across disciplines to enhance the understanding of adolescent mental health and mental disorders.

mindyourmind exists in the space where mental health, wellness, engagement and technology meet. They work with young people aged 14-29 to co-create interactive tools and innovative resources to build capacity and resilience.

The Child & Youth Mental Health Toolkits were created with healthcare providers in mind who expressed a need for a practical, user-friendly resource for screening, assessment and treatment of child and youth mental health problems commonly presenting in primary care. Parents and youth can find information on anxiety, autism, mood disorders, trauma, ADHD and more.

Resources for Youth, Parents & Professionals – The Québec government’s Portail santé mieux-être- Reste en contrôle addresses a number of topics related to alcohol and other drugs, and gambling. The information is for young people aged 10 and older and their parents but may also be useful for teachers and other professionals working with young people. Please see the Drug Awareness Week Notebook for Youth 10-12 and the Choose Smart Solutions: True or False? Activities for youth 10-12.

Canadian Mental Health Commission of Canada (CMHA) is a national charity that helps maintain and improve mental health for all Canadians. CMHA helps people access the community resources they need to build resilience and support recovery from mental illness. Please see Children, Youth and Depression and Youth and Self-Injury .

Connexions has put together a list of Online Resources for Cyberviolence and Cyberbullying