Finding community resources

November 5, 2017

There are many groups that offer counselling and support. Family doctors can be a great source of information.

Here are some other suggestions for where to look for help:

Provincial & territorial health webpages provide links to mental health services – see these links in the Resource section of this website
211 service or http://www.ementalhealth.ca is available in some provinces & territories – not all provinces or parts of a province or territories are covered. It connects you to government and community-based health and social services. You can access the service by calling 211. It is free and confidential. You can also search by web http://211.ca/
Your provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association should have a list of resources. You can find contact information for your provincial CMHA here: http://www.cmha.ca/get-involved/find-your-cmha/
Advocacy and support organizations deal with specific mental illnesses. Many of these organizations also run support groups, both for family members/caregivers and for people with mental health challenges. Look for provincial or local chapters of national organizations like the Schizophrenia Society of Canada, the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, or the Organization for Bipolar Affective Disorders Society.
Specialized clinics often run support groups. Contact hospital-run clinics, like those for people with eating disorders, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and those using substances harmfully. Some of these may be open to people who are not patients at the clinic. If these clinics don’t run support groups, they may be able to direct you to other resources.
Local health authorities may have support groups or courses on living with mental illness or supporting those who do.
Most provinces have peer support programs that allow you to talk to other people who have experienced mental health challenges.
There are also organizations that cater to specific segments of the population – for example, youth living with mental illness.