Mental Health and Well-being

If you require urgent medical assistance, call 9-1-1. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call 9-8-8. Visit 988.ca for more information.

Your Mental Health Matters

What is mental health?

Everyone has mental health. Mental health is health.

Mental health is a state of well-being – it includes our emotions, feelings of connectedness and ability to cope with challenges.

Mental health vs. mental illness

The terms ‘mental health’ and ‘mental illness’ are often used interchangeably, but this is incorrect. While we all have mental health, not everyone experiences mental illness.

Mental health and mental illness intersect and exist on a dual continuum – people without a diagnosed mental illness can still have poor mental health and need help, and people with a mental illness can experience good mental health.

Mental illness is common – every year, 1 in 5 Canadians experience a mental health problem or illness and 1 in 3 Canadians experience mental illness in their lifetime.

Stigma (negative attitudes, beliefs and behaviours about or towards a group of people because of their situation in life, including discrimination, prejudice and judgement) is one of the most common reasons why people do not seek help for mental health concerns.

Image: School Mental Health Ontario 

We are here to help

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health aims to decrease stigma related to mental health concerns, promote prevention and support the well-being of the community. We do not provide treatment for mental health concerns or diagnosed mental illness, but we 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 or addiction crisis support is available 24/7 for Dufferin County residents.
  • 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 (Wednesday 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.)
  • Family Transition Place (for Dufferin residents): 1-800-265-9178 (24/7 support line). Provides services to women and children who have experienced abuse including shelter, counselling services, community initiatives and outreach programs.  
  • 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.
  • 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 or text 2-1-1 to connect with social services and community programs within Ontario.
  • 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

For Children, Youth and Young Adults

Services
  • 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 youth (12 to 25 years of age) providing youth-led programming and access to community agencies, services and tools to support mental health. 
  • 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.
  • 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).
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.
  • 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: Free, evidence-based programs that offer 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
Resources

For BIPOC Communities

Services
  • Black Mental Health Canada: 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 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities

Services
  • Compass Community Services: LGBTQ+ Support Line 226-669-3760; Free and confidential emotional support and referrals to community resources. 7 days a week, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
  • 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.

For Caregivers

Resources
  • The Ontario Caregiver Organization: 1-833-416-2273: One point of access for information, counselling, peer support and other programs to support mental health and well-being.

For Workplaces

Resources
  • CAMH Workplace Mental Health Resource Centre: Information, tools and resources to help business leaders learn more about mental health, take action and share their support for staff. Includes free and paid workplace mental health resources and trainings.
  • ​Mental Health Commission of Canada: Workplace mental health resources to help organizations create mentally healthy work environments and promote psychological health and safety in the workplace.
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. 
  • ​Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST): Two-day workshop that prepares an individual to provide life-assisting suicide first-aid intervention.
  • CMHA Workplace Mental Health: trainings and toolkits aimed at enhancing workplace psychological health and safety.
  • ​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) that are founded on best practices, research and methodologies.
  • ​SafeTALK: Half-day training that prepares and individual to identify and engage people with thoughts of suicide and to connect them to further help and care.

For Educators

Resources

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.
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.