Ottawa Resources
Are you in distress or crisis? A compassionate and caring person will answer your call. Ottawa Crisis Line focuses on your immediate crisis and works with you to find solutions. They may be able to provide other relevant resources in the community to help you along the way. The bottom line is someone is here for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Contact within Ottawa: (613) 722-6914
Contact outside Ottawa: 1-(866)-996-0991
Distress Centre of Ottawa has people available 24/7 to answer calls from those who are reaching out for help. Regardless of their issue, individuals are welcome to call their confidential, non-judgmental and open-minded telephone lines to talk about what they're facing in their lives. Sometimes callers have simple questions or they may be in a mental health crisis that requires more attention.
Distress: (613)-238-3311
Crisis: (613)-722-6914 or 1-866-996-0991
Text: (343)-306-5550 (10am-11pm)
Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free confidential support to young people in English and French.
Contact: 1-800-668-6868
TEXT 686868 to be connected to their chat
Youth Service Bureau (YSB) is a multi-service agency that provides services in English and French in employment, health and housing, mental health, youth engagement, and youth justice.
Contact: (613)-260-2360
CHAT: chat.ysb.ca
The Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre (ORCC) supports and empowers trans and cis women, trans men, two-spirit, gender fluid, and non-binary survivors.
Contact: (613)-562-2333
Fem'aide, a provincial telephone helpline for Francophone women dealing with violence, has benefitted the French community in Ontario since 2006.
Contact: 1-(877)-336-2433
The Assaulted Women's Helpline offers a 24-hour telephone and TTY crisis line to all women who have experienced abuse. They provide counselling, emotional support, information and referrals.
Contact: 1-(866)-863-0511 #SAFE (#7233) on your Bell, Rogers, Fido, or Telus mobile phone
Family Services Ottawa offers counselling and support services to families, parents, and children. We have programs to help you manage relationship issues, coping with stress and anxiety, or adjusting to divorce or separation.
Contact: (613)-725-3601
The Walk-In Counselling Clinic provides immediate counselling services to individuals, couples, and families. The walk-in sessions are free to all members of the community with no restrictions based on age or location. Appointments are not required.
Contact: (613)-755-2277
The Hope for Wellness Helpline is available to all Indigenous people across Canada. Experienced and culturally competent counsellors are reachable by telephone and online chat 24 hours per day 7 days per week.
Contact: 1-(855)-242-3310
Talk 4 Healing Crisis Line is a culturally grounded, fully confidential helpline for Indigenous women available in 14 languages all across Ontario.
Contact: 1-(855)-554-4325
Counselling Connect provides quick access to a free phone or video counselling session available in English and French. This service is for everyone: children, youth, adults, and families in Ottawa and the surrounding area. There is no waitlist.
Visit their website for details: https://www.counsellingconnect.org/
Bounceback is a free skill-building program managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). It is designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression and anxiety, stress or worry. It's delivered over the phone with a coach and through online videos. You'll get access to tools that will support you on your path to mental wellbeing.
Visit their website for details: bouncebackontario.ca
CAMH offers outstanding clinical care to more than 34,000 patients each year. The organization conducts groundbreaking research, provides expert training to health care professionals, develops innovative health promotion and prevention strategies, and advocates on public policy issues at all levels of government.
Contact: 1-(800)-463-2338
The Children's Aid Society of Ottawa (CAS) is a non-profit community organization funded by the Government of Ontario. It's legally mandated to protect children and youth from abuse and neglect.
Contact: (613)-747-7800
David Smith Youth Treatment Centre (DSYTC) provides youth and families in need with integrated evidence-based addiction and mental health treatment delivered by competent professionals within a caring and compassionate environment.
Contact: 1-(866)-380-3457
Rideauwood offers over 15 programs for clients including youth and young adults and adults, families, parents and support persons.
Contact: (613)-724-4881
SMART Recovery has helped millions of people around the world gain control over their addictions and lead rich, happy, healthy lives. This support group is free and available to anybody with issues with addiction.
Visit their website to learn more: https://www.smartrecovery.org/
Thinking in Pictures Educational Services (TIPES) is a non-profit organization comprised of training professionals with a passion for supporting individuals with autism and other learning needs.
Contact: (613)-224-0729
The Consumption and Treatment Service (CTS) is a health service that provides a safe and hygienic environment where people bringing pre-obtained drugs can use them under the supervision of medical staff. Staff does not supply drugs.
Contact: (613)-238-8210 ext. 2369
The Parenting in Ottawa drop-ins are located across the City of Ottawa. You can speak in-person with a Public Health Nurse about your parenting questions and concerns.
- Get support for infant feeding
- Learn ways to help your child eat healthy and be active
- Make sure your child is on track with their growth and development
- Ask about your child's social and emotional development
The 24/7 Crisis Line and Chat services are for children and youth ages 17 and under who are experiencing a crisis. It is also a resource for parents, guardians, caregivers, friends, and service providers who are concerned about a young person in crisis.
Contact: 1-(877)-377-7775 (toll free for Eastern Ontario)
Or click the chat icon on the website.
One of the biggest challenges for people seeking mental health, substance use, and addictions services is knowing where to go for help. That's why healthcare partners, community service providers, and people with lived experience have collaborated to create AccessMHA. It's a straightforward, single point of entry to Eastern Ontario's system of care for mental health and addictions.
Contact: inquiries@accessmha.ca
Mental health support available in Inuktitut and English for Inuit of all ages.
Contact: (613)-740-0999
Bereaved Families of Ottawa seeks to inspire hope and healing for people in Ottawa Region grieving the loss of a loved one.
Contact: (613)-567-4278
Canadian Hearing Services Ottawa offers a wide range of hearing services and hearing devices as well as audiology testing, hearing health counselling, mental health counselling, education and training.
Contact: 1-(866)-518-0000
Centre Le Cap aims to offer a continuum of inclusive services in French from early childhood to adulthood that promotes optimal development and wellness, particularly when facing challenges of mental health, addictions, and concurrent disorders.
Contact: (613)-789-2240
Crossroads Children's Mental Health Centre works exclusively with children up to the age of 12 and their families. We are committed to developing and delivering a wide range of mental health services to help children and families struggling with severe emotional, behavioural, and social challenges.
Contact: (613)-723-1623
Geriatric Psychiatry Community Services of Ottawa (GPCSO) is a bilingual geriatric psychiatry program. We work with older adults living in our community to optimize their mental health and/or dementia with challenging behaviours.
Contact: (613)-562-9777
The Hopewell mission is to support individuals struggling with an eating disorder as well as their families and friends. They are dedicated to offering support, information, and hope to anyone affected by eating disorders.
Contact: (613)-241-3428
The Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres of Ottawa (CHRC) offers a wide range of programs and services that serve the needs of the community.
The Royal's primary role is to serve people 16 and older living with complex and persistent mental illness. For most of our programs, patients in need of the highly specialized care we provide are referred by physicians or nurse practitioners in our community.
Contact: (613)-722-6521
Roberts Smart Centre provides treatment to youth dealing with complex mental health and behavioural challenges in a welcoming, supportive, and safe environment.
Contact: (613)-728-1946
Providing quality, holistic, culturally relevant health services to First Nations, Inuit, and Metis communities of Ottawa.
Contact: (613)-748-5999
