Helplines

These helplines are free and confidential. You can talk to someone 24 hours a day no matter where you are in the province.

The helplines offer:

  • someone to talk to
  • crisis counselling
  • emotional support
  • safety planning
  • legal information
  • other assistance

Assaulted Women’s Helpline

Get 24/7 crisis counselling and referrals to services, shelters, legal advice and other help for all women and their dependents who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing abuse.

Support is available in more than 200 different languages, including 17 Indigenous languages.

Fem’aide

Get 24/7 crisis counselling and referral services for Francophone and French-speaking women.

Talk4Healing

Get 24/7 culturally sensitive crisis counselling, advice, and support for all Indigenous women and their families.

Support is available in English Ojibway, Oji-Cree, Cree, and in 10 other Indigenous languages.

Victim Support Line

Get 24/7 access to information and referrals for victims of crime across Ontario in most languages spoken in the province.

Victims of crime and their families can access a wide range of services, including counselling, financial assistance and other supports.

Support for male survivors of sexual abuse

Get 24/7 multilingual crisis and referral services for male survivors of sexual abuse, both recent and historical.

Supports include counselling, peer support, and referrals to community support services to meet long-term needs.

Toll-free: 1-866-887-0015

211 Ontario helpline

Get 24/7 help connecting to community, social, health-related and government services in your local area. Help is available in more than 150 languages.

Phone or text: 211    
Toll-free: 1-877-330-3213    
Toll-free TTY: 1-888-340-1001    
 

Live chat service available Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

Emergency shelters and women’s shelters

Emergency shelters provide security for women and their children fleeing violence and abuse by offering protection, hope and support.

To find an emergency shelter in your area, call a helpline or visit ShelterSafe Canada.

Find shelters for Indigenous women and children.

Sexual assault centres

Survivors of sexual assault can access a range of services through these centres, including a 24-hour crisis line, counselling, peer support, advocacy, and somebody to accompany you to hospitals, court and other services.

Find a sexual assault centre near you.

Domestic violence treatment centres

Get hospital-based emergency care for people who have recently experienced sexual and/or intimate partner violence. Services can include access to specialized medical care and counselling.

Visit the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centres website to find help in your region.

Supports for Indigenous women

Indigenous Healing and Wellness Strategy

Learn about Indigenous-designed and delivered programs and services to improve Indigenous healing, health and wellness, and to reduce violence against Indigenous women and children.

Provincial healing lodges

Healing lodges offer bed-based and/or day programs using traditional Indigenous healing and contemporary therapeutic interventions to:

  • reduce the impacts and trauma from sexual assault, physical, mental and emotional abuse or family instability
  • promote the spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical well-being of Indigenous people and families
  • foster the healing, rebuilding, and strengthening of individual and family relationships

Learn more about provincial healing lodges and how you can connect with their services.

Shelters for Indigenous women and children

These shelters provide safe and short-term residences for women and their children fleeing domestic abuse. Counselling and other culturally appropriate supports are also available.

Learn more about shelters for Indigenous women and children, and how to connect with their services.

Mental health and addictions treatment

Almost 30% of Ontarians will experience a mental health or addiction problem at some point in their lives.

Find free and confidential mental health and addictions services in your community – for yourself or someone you know.

Legal advice

Legal Aid Ontario

Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) provides legal help in English and French for low‑income Ontarians regarding:

  • family law
  • refugee and immigration law
  • criminal law
  • mental health law
  • clinic law

If you have experienced domestic violence and need help with a family law matter, please call LAO’s contact centre immediately:

Independent Legal Advice

If you are a victim of sexual assault living in Ontario and would like to speak to a lawyer, you may be eligible for up to 4 hours of free legal advice by phone or video (for example, Skype or Zoom). This service does not include legal representation in court.

This service is confidential and is available any time after a sexual assault has occurred.

Victim services

For additional information about services for victims of crime:

Family Court Support Worker program

Family court support workers provide direct support to victims of domestic violence who are involved in the family court process.

A family court support worker will:

  • provide information about the family court process
  • help victims prepare for family court proceedings
  • refer victims to other specialized services and supports in the community
  • help with safety planning, such as getting to and from court safely
  • accompany the victim to court proceedings, where appropriate

Visit the victim service directory to find a family court support worker in your community.

Victim Crisis Assistance Ontario

The Victim Crisis Assistance Ontario program provides crisis intervention services to victims of crime and tragic circumstances 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to on-site crisis intervention, other services offered through the program include:

  • safety planning for all eligible victims of crime
  • referrals to appropriate community supports and services
  • needs assessments and customized service plans
  • assistance to eligible victims with applications to the Victim Quick Response Program+
  • enhanced support for vulnerable victims
  • referrals to community agencies

Visit the victim service directory to find a Victim Crisis Assistance of Ontario provider in your community.

Victim Quick Response Program+

The Victim Quick Response Program+ provides short-term support for essential expenses for victims, their immediate family members and witnesses in the immediate aftermath of a violent crime to help:

  • reduce the impact of the crime
  • enhance safety
  • meet immediate practical needs

This program supports individuals who have no other financial means (e.g. private insurance) and where there is no publicly funded program available.

Eligible applicants can access supports for critical needs, such as:

  • emergency home safety expenses
  • practical expenses and basic necessities
  • travel and related expenses
  • crime scene clean-up
  • short-term counselling services
  • support required for serious injuries
  • basic funeral expenses for families of homicide victims

To apply for the program, you must be assessed for eligibility with a local service provider. If you are eligible, the service provider will assist you with your application to the program.

Visit the victim service directory to find a service provider in your community.

Victim/Witness Assistance Program

The Victim/Witness Assistance Program provides information, assistance and support to victims and witnesses of crime throughout the criminal court process to improve their understanding of, and participation in, the criminal court process.

Services are provided on a priority basis to the most vulnerable victims and witnesses of violent crime. Services begin once police have laid charges and continue until the court case is over.

Victim/Witness Assistance Program services include:

  • information about victims’ rights and the criminal court process
  • case specific information
  • court preparation and orientation
  • emotional support, including crisis intervention and debriefing
  • needs assessment and referrals to community agencies (including discussions about safety issues and referrals to agencies for comprehensive safety planning)
  • liaison with the Crown and police

Learn more about the Victim/Witness Assistance Program or visit the Victim Services Directory to find assistance in your community.

Help for child victims and child witnesses

The Child Victim/Witness Program offers support and services to child victims and witnesses during the criminal court process.

In areas where a Child Victim/Witness Program is not available, the Victim/Witness Assistance Program can provide similar services.

Visit the victim service directory to find assistance in your community.

Vulnerable Victims and Family Fund

The Vulnerable Victims and Family Fund helps victims of crime participate more fully in the criminal court process.

Financial and court-based supports include:

  • travel to attend key court dates
  • language interpretation services (does not include instances where the Language Interpreters Services Program applies)
  • special accommodations for victims with disabilities, such as real-time captioning or other equipment
  • Basic necessities for victims of human trafficking while at court 

Victims of crime and families of homicide victims should apply through Ontario’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program. Visit the victim service directory to find assistance in your community.

Affordable housing

Learn about programs to help you find a safe and affordable place to call home, including help for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence and human trafficking.

Employment and job training services

Programs for women’s economic empowerment

These programs provide skills, knowledge and experience to help women increase their economic opportunities. They:

  • provide training for women with low incomes and for women who have experienced violence
  • equip women with the skills to start a small business or get a job in fields such as the skilled trades or information technology
  • build Indigenous women’s leadership
  • provide food, transportation and access to childcare in some cases

Employment Ontario

Learn how to get training, build skills or find a job.

Hide your internet activity

You can find helpful resources and support online for survivors of gender-based violence. But it’s important to know that your browser saves a record of your internet activity.

If you are concerned that someone is trying to see where you have been online, there are steps you can take to stay safe.

Learn how to hide your internet activity.