Mental Health and Well-being

If you require urgent medical assistance, call 911. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 9-8-8. Visit 988.ca for more information.

Your Mental Health Matters

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health aims to decrease stigma related to mental health concerns and support the well-being of the community. We also work closely with community partners to connect individuals to relevant resources and timely services. If you are struggling with mental health concerns, whatever your circumstances, help is available.

For Everyone

Services
  • 24.7 Crisis Support Peel Dufferin: 1-888-811-2222. Mental health crisis support is available 24/7 for Dufferin County residents.
  • Bereaved Families of Ontario - Midwestern Region: Support programs for children, youth, parents, individuals and families who are grieving the death of someone in their life.
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): Information, online tutorials and handouts about mental health, mental illnesses, substance use, addiction, and supporting oneself and others.
  • Compass Community Services: 1-888-821-3760 or 519-821-3760. Quick-access walk-in counselling services for those wishing to stop in and speak with a therapist, without making an appointment.
    • ​Distress Line: 1-888-821-3760 or 519-821-3760 ext. 1; confidential support for those in immediate distress.
    • TeleConnect: 1-888-821-3760 or 519-821-3760 ext. 2 (8am-10pm, 7 days a week); outbound call service for community members seeking connection and support with independent living.
    • LGBTQ+ Support Line: 519-669-3760 call or text (8am-10pm, 7 days a week); a safe space of support for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
  • ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (24/7). Free and confidential health services information for people experiencing problems with gambling, drugs, alcohol, or mental health.
  • Family Transition Place (for Dufferin residents): 1-800-265-9178 (24/7). Provides services to women and children who have experienced abuse including shelter, counselling services, community initiatives and outreach programs.  
  • Guelph Community Health Centre: 519-821-6638. Primary health services and community programs for priority populations in Guelph.
  • Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis: 1-800-265-7233. Providing safety, support, information and advocacy to women and their children in Guelph and Wellington County. The Crisis Line is a 24-hour telephone and TTY support and referral line.
  • Here24/7: 1-844-437-3247. Addictions, mental health and crisis services for Waterloo-Wellington region (including Guelph and Wellington County residents). Available 24/7.
  • IMPACT – Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team: CMHA Waterloo-Wellington and Police joint initiative to provide supportive mental health crisis care to those in need. 
  • National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC): 1-866-633-4220. Information, resources, referrals and support to Canadians affected by eating disorders. Phone, email (nedic@uhn.ca) and live chat services are available 9 a.m. – 9 p.m ET Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m ET. Friday, and 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.
  • Ontario 211: Call, text or chat for connections to social services and community programs within Ontario.
  • 988.ca: Call or text 9-8-8 toll free, any time. Lines are open 24/7/365. Connect to a crisis responder to get help without judgement.
  • WDG Public Health Client and Community Support Call Centre: 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET. Ask a public health nurse your questions to get confidential advice, help accessing programs and services, information about community supports and more.
Resources
Training
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Resilience Training: The Community Resilience Coalition Guelph & Wellington offers free, virtual training opportunities for a variety of audiences to better understand ACEs, their effects, and actions they can take to prevent and reduce the effects of ACEs and promote resilience.  
  • Food and Mood: Learn how to support mental health through nutrition. These free, virtual training modules were developed by Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
  • Mental Health Commission of Canada: Offers evidence-based mental health training programs including Mental Health First Aid.
  • SafeTALK: Half-day training that prepares individuals to identify and engage people with thoughts of suicide and to connect them to further help and care.

For Children, Youth and Young Adults

Services
  • Black Youth Help Line: 1-833-294-8650 (everyday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET). Multicultural helpline that serves all youth and specifically responds to the need of Black youth with services, positioned and resourced to promote access to professional, culturally appropriate support for youth, families and schools.
  • Good2Talk: 1-866-925-5454 Free, confidential support services for post-secondary students that provides counselling, information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being.
  • The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs: Safe, inclusive walk-in spaces open to all youth (12 to 25 years) providing youth-led programming and access to community agencies, services and tools to support mental health concerns. 
  • Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text ‘CONNECT’ 686868. 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support to young people in English and French.
  • LGBT Youth Lifeline: 1-800-268-9688 or text 647-694-4275 (Sunday to Friday, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET). Confidential, non-judgmental and informed 2SLGBTQ+ peer support through telephone, text and chat services.
  • Mind Your Mind: This service works with community partners and young people aged 14 to 29 to co-create interactive tools and innovative resources to build capacity and resilience. 
  • One Stop Talk: A virtual walk-in mental health clinic that offers free counseling and therapy to anyone in Ontario over the age of 12. The service is available in multiple languages and offers same-day appointments.
  • Together All: An online mental health and well-being service that provides anonymous peer support, guided self-help, and online therapy. Available to Ontario residents aged 16 and over.
  • WES (Wellness Emotional Support) for Youth Online: 519-507-3737. Free e-counselling service that connects youth to professional counsellors through self-referral, to explore the issues being faced in a secure and virtual environment (note: this is not a crisis service).
  • YMCA of Three Rivers: Variety of free and low cost youth and young adult activity programs across Guelph and Wellington including Safe Sisters, Newcomer Youth and Moving Black Lives Forward.. 
Resources
  • CAMH Game Changers: Co-created with youth to help youth understand more about mental health and well-being, including substance use.
  • Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health: Programs and resources to help post-secondary institutions enhance their capacity to support student mental health and well-being.
  • The Grove Youth Wellness Hubs: Safe, inclusive walk-in spaces open to all youth (12 to 25 years) providing youth-led programming and access to community agencies, services and tools to support mental health concerns.
  • Participaction: Resources and apps to learn how physical activity can impact your mood.
  • Youth Wellness Quest: Checklist to support young people experiencing mental health or substance use challenges to identify the kind of help that is right for them. 
Training
  • CAMH Youth and Mental Health 101: Free 30-minute tutorial designed to provide youth with information about mental health challenges and how to seek support if they are struggling.

For Parents and Guardians

Services
  • Client and Community Support Call Centre: 1-800-265-7293 ext. 7006. Speak to a Public Health Nurse for breastfeeding support, formula feeding support, pregnancy and parenting questions or concerns, including mental health and well-being. 
  • Dufferin Child and Family Services (DCAFS): 519-941-1530. Intake line for mental health services for children and youth living in Dufferin County.
  • Family & Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington: 1-800-265-8300 or 519-824-2410. Dedicated to enhancing the well-being of children, youth, and families in the City of Guelph and Wellington County.
  • Here4Kids: 1-844-454-3711. Here4 Kids is the access point for the Growing Great Kids System of Care. Call to access support and services for children and families in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph region, including children’s mental health and developmental services (for children 0 to 6 years).
  • Strongest Families Institute: This is a free, evidence-based program that offers mental health support to children and families across Canada. The program includes telephone coaching and online resources for managing a range of mental health concerns, including anxiety and depression.
Resources

For Older Adults

Services
  • Friendly Calls Program by the Canadian Red Cross, 1-833-979-9779: Free service with scheduled calls from Red Cross volunteers who provide supportive listening, social interaction and emotional support.
  • CMHA Services for Seniors: Services provided for seniors in Waterloo-Wellington.
  • Dufferin County Seniors Services: Enhancing the lives of seniors and adults with disabilities throughout the community.
  • Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario: Education, training, resource development and information about elder abuse. 
  • Guelph Wellington Seniors Association: Provides programs, activities and services to promote learning, strengthen minds and bodies and encourage socialization.  
  • TeleCheck-Dufferin: 519-415-3764. A daily check-in call for adults 55+, 7 days a week. No referral required. No assessment required. No fee for service.
  • VON Wellington-Dufferin: 519-323-2330. Various seniors services including adult day program, assisted living supports, meals on wheels, senior supportive living, seniors group exercise program, transportation, visiting. Provides a daily phone call to check on the health and safety of people who live alone.  
Resources

For BIPOC Communities

Services
  • Black Mental Health Canada: 1-888-220-2510. Advocates for culturally safe, affordable and accessible mental health care to Black communities in Canada.
  • Black Youth Help Line: 1-833-294-8650 (everyday 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.). Multicultural helpline that serves all youth and specifically responds to the need of Black youth with services, positioned and resourced to promote access to professional, culturally appropriate support for youth, families and schools.
  • Indigenous Hope for Wellness Help Line: 1-855-242-3310. Available 24/7. Telephone counselling and crisis intervention for Indigenous peoples across Canada. Services available in English/French and on request, in Cree/Ojibway/Inuktitut.
  • Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line: 1-877-767-7572. Telephone support for mental health and addictions for adults, youth and families.

For 2SLGBTQ+ Communities

Services
  • LGBT Youth Lifeline: 1-800-268-9688 or text 647-694-4275. Sunday to Friday, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET. This lifeline offers confidential and non-judgmental peer support through telephone, text and chat services.
  • Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366. Run by and for the trans community, this organization offers direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis.
  • YMCA of Three Rivers: 2SLGBTQ+ youth program for ages 13 – 18. Provides a safe, welcoming and inclusive space.

For Caregivers

Resources

For Workplaces

Resources
Training

For Educators

Resources
  • Anxiety Canada: Provides information about anxiety and educator resources such as videos (including Caretoons), podcasts and the CARD system toolkit - a framework to help students prepare for stressful events.
  • Beyond Images: National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) lesson plans for Grades 4-8 on media literacy, becoming more resilient to negative body image messaging in the media and building self-esteem.
  • Butterfly Body Bright: Resources, activities and tip sheets for families and educators about children’s relationship with their body, eating and physical activity.
  • Dove Self-esteem Project: Provides lesson plans, activity sheets, workshop resources and videos on media influence and peer pressure, with a focus on promoting and building self-confidence and self-esteem. For Grades 6-8.
  • Dreamwalkers Meditations: A program to assist and inspire student mental health and well-being through meditation and mindful minutes. Meditation videos, school trainings, teacher resources and more. For all Grade levels.
  • Education Programming offered by NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information Centre):Virtual and in-person workshops for educators, students, and parents aiming to enhance eating disorder awareness and education.
  • Everyday Mental Health Classroom Resource: Create mentally healthy classrooms with these simple mental health activities. 
  • Jack.org: Provides information and resources that help increase education, improve attitudes and change systems around mental health through online courses and presentations (Jack Talks).
  • Ophea’s Ideas for Action: Provides easy-to-use activities on the topics of healthy eating, mental health and physical activity that can be modified for elementary or secondary students and their leaders.
  • PREVNet, Canada’s Health Relationship Hub: Provides bullying prevention teaching resources, tools and videos. For Grades 4-8.
  • School Mental Health Ontario: Evidence-informed information and resources for school staff, students and parents/caregivers.
  • Strong Minds Strong Kids: Professional training and programs on secure attachment relationships, stress management and resilience skills
  • Supporting Minds: An Educator’s Guide to Promoting Students’ Mental Health and Well-being: An Ontario Ministry of Education K-12 teacher resource about the early signs of mental health issues with strategies that can be used in the classroom.
  • Teach Resiliency: Practical tools for teachers on creating healthy spaces, promoting belonging, building resilience and mental health literacy.
  • The Outdoor Toolbox: Using outdoor experiences to promote vibrant classroom culture, positive interpersonal relationships, emotional regulation and academic success.
  • The Umbrella Project (available at WCDSB) and Wellness Works (available at UGDSB): Provides educators with monthly wellness themes and skill-building to promote positive mental health.
  • UConn Rudd Centre for Food Policy and Health: Promotes solutions to food insecurity, poor diet quality and weight bias through research and policy.
  • Youth Empowering Students for Mental Health (YES4MH): A school-wide youth engagement mental health initiative for secondary schools. Visit the WDGPH School Programs page for more information.

For Health Care Workers

Services
  • Boots on the Ground: 1-833-677-2668. Available 24/7. Anonymous peer support for first responders, by first responders.
  • Here4Help: Access immediate virtual care including professional counselling, , and other mental health updates.
Resources
Training
  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST): Two-day workshop that prepares an individual to provide life-assisting suicide first-aid intervention.
  • CMHA Your Health Space: Free workplace mental health workshops and/or self-directed modules to support health care organizations address workplace stress and promote psychological health and safety in the workplace.

For Farm Workers

Service
  • The Farmer Wellness Initiative: 1-866-267-6255. This service provides access to free counselling services and tailored mental health support and resources to all Ontario farmers and their families.