Mental health services for children and youth

Find mental health support

There are hundreds of programs and services across Ontario that offer help to children and youth with mental health and addiction concerns up to 18 years of age.

How to find support

To find mental health services for children and youth in your community:

• visit Kids Help Phone Resources Around Me
• type in your location
• select the topic “Counselling and Mental Health Support”
• select “Find Resources”
• choose from the counselling and mental health support services from the drop-down list or interactive map to select the resources that are right for you

When to ask for support

Contact a mental health agency if you need help for a child or youth with behavioural, emotional and/or mental health and addiction issues. This includes:

• anxiety
• attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD)
• depression and other mood disorders
• schizophrenia
• eating disorders

Learn more about the signs and symptoms of children and youth mental health issues

Community based child and youth mental health services

The following services may be available and vary by location:

• crisis support services
• targeted prevention
• brief services/quick or short-term sessions to address immediate needs
• counselling and therapy services
• supports to build family capability to adapt/respond to children in need
• specialized consultation and assessments
• intensive treatment services
• culturally sensitive mental health and addictions services

Lead agencies for mental health services by region

Lead agencies across the province oversee and coordinate the delivery of mental health services and programs in their region and work with community partners to provide a wide range of supports for children and youth.

Contact any of the organizations below to learn more about the mental health services available for children and youth in your area:

Fees

There is no fee to access these programs and services.

Secure treatment

Ontario's Secure Treatment Program provides intensive care for children and youth under the age of 18 years experiencing acute and complex mental health or addictions challenges who are at risk of self-harm or harm to others.  Secure treatment is delivered in a highly structured, secure facility that places continuous restrictions on the liberties of the child or youth.

Secure treatment Programs in Ontario are licensed as children’s residences under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 (CYFSA). The CYFSA permits the minister to approve secure treatment programs.

Eligibility and admission

There are specific criteria in the CYFSA as to how children and young people may be admitted to a Secure treatment program (Program), which include two possible routes of admission:

• commitment by the Ontario Court of Justice or Family Court (section 164)
• emergency admission (section 171)

Each admission pathway requires formal documentation and completion of Ontario government forms.

For more information, see below for specific criteria.

Court-ordered admissions

The following forms are required to be completed and are available on the Government’s Ontario Court Forms page:

• Form 8C - Application for Secure Treatment / Extension
• Form 33F - Consent to Secure Treatment (person other than child)

Emergency admissions

The following form is required to be completed and can be found on the Ontario Central Forms Repository:

• Application for Emergency Admission to Secure Treatment

For admission of children under the age of 12, the child’s primary mental health service provider (in the case of a court-ordered admission) or the secure treatment service provider (in the case of an emergency admission) must request the Minister of Health’s (or the minister’s delegate) consent prior to admission/commitment to secure treatment.

Criteria for secure treatment admission

Under Section 164 of the CYFSA:

1. The court may order that a child be committed to a secure treatment program only where the court is satisfied that,
   • the child has a mental disorder;
   • the child has, as a result of the mental disorder, within the 45 days immediately preceding,
     • the application under subsection 161 (1),
     • the child’s detention or custody under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (Canada) or under the Provincial Offences Act, or
     • the child’s admission to a psychiatric facility under the Mental Health Act as an involuntary patient,
     • caused or attempted to cause serious bodily harm to themself or another person;
   • the child has,
     • within the 12 months immediately preceding the application, but on another occasion than that referred to in clause (b), caused, attempted to cause or by words or conduct made a substantial threat to cause serious bodily harm to themself or another person, or
     • in committing the act or attempt referred to in clause (b), caused or attempted to cause a person’s death;
   • the secure treatment program would be effective to prevent the child from causing or attempting to cause serious bodily harm to themself or another person;
   • treatment appropriate for the child’s mental disorder is available at the place of secure treatment to which the application relates; and
   • no less restrictive method of providing treatment appropriate for the child’s mental disorder is appropriate in the circumstances.
2. Where the child is younger than 12, the court shall not make an order under subsection (1) unless the Minister consents to the child’s commitment.
3. Where the applicant is a physician, the court shall not make an order under subsection (1) unless the court is satisfied that the applicant believes the criteria set out in that subsection are met.

Emergency admission Under Section 171 of the CYFSA:

1. Any one of the following persons may apply to the administrator for the emergency admission of a child to a secure treatment program:
   • Where the child is younger than 16,
     • the child’s parent,
     • a person who is caring for the child with a parent’s consent,
     • a child protection worker who brought the child to a place of safety under section 81, or
     • a society that has custody of the child under an order made under Part V (Child Protection).
   • Where the child is 16 or older,
     • the child,
     • the child’s parent, if the child consents to the application,
     • a society that has custody of the child under an order made under Part V (Child Protection), if the child consents to the application, or
     • a physician.
2. The administrator may admit a child to the secure treatment program on an application under subsection (1) for a period not to exceed 30 days where the administrator believes on reasonable grounds that,
   • the child has a mental disorder;
   • the child has, as a result of the mental disorder, caused, attempted to cause or by words or conduct made a substantial threat to cause serious bodily harm to themself or another person;
   • the secure treatment program would be effective to prevent the child from causing or attempting to cause serious bodily harm to themself or another person;
   • treatment appropriate for the child’s mental disorder is available at the place of secure treatment to which the application relates; and
   • no less restrictive method of providing treatment appropriate for the child’s mental disorder is appropriate in the circumstances.
3. The administrator may admit the child under subsection (2) although the criterion set out in clause (2) (b) is not met, where,
   •    the other criteria set out in subsection (2) are met;
   •    the child, after obtaining legal advice, consents to the admission; and
   • if the child is younger than 16, the child’s parent or, where the child is in a society’s lawful custody, the society consents to the child’s admission.
4. Where the child is younger than 12, the administrator shall not admit the child under subsection (2) unless the Minister consents to the child’s admission.
5. Where the applicant is a physician, the administrator shall not admit the child under subsection (2) unless the administrator is satisfied that the applicant believes the criteria set out in that subsection are met.

The following three facilities provide secure treatment:

• Toronto - Youthdale Treatment Centre
• Oakville - Syl Apps Youth Centre
• Ottawa - Roberts Smart Centre

Note: The Syl Apps Youth Centre is also designated under the Criminal Code of Canada to provide forensic mental health services to youth in the criminal justice system. These services include the assessment and treatment to youth that may be, or have been found, unfit to stand trial or not criminally responsible due to their mental illness.

Forensic mental health services, including assessment and treatment, can only be accessed through:

• a court order
• by order of the Ontario Review Board

Tele-Mental Health Service

Ontario’s Tele-Mental Health Service provides children and youth in rural, remote, and underserved communities with access to specialized mental health consultation through secure videoconferencing.

It connects children and youth already receiving mental health services from a community provider with a specialist who can help to assess and provide treatment recommendations to meet their needs and allows children and youth to access specialized services close to home.

The Tele-Mental Health Service is available provincially but targets rural, remote, and underserved communities with the greatest need. It also provides culturally safe services to First Nations, Métis, Inuit, urban Indigenous, and francophone children, youth, and their families.

The Tele-Mental Health Service is accessed by community-based providers for their clients through one of seven Tele-Mental Health Service Coordination Agencies, 3 of which are Indigenous owned and operated organizations. Coordination Agencies also provide community outreach and support the implementation of specialist recommendations.  Tele-Mental Health Coordination Agencies are:

• Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca
• Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services
• Algoma Family Services
• Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre
• Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• Weechi-it-te-win Family Services
• Strides Toronto (for agencies referring in Toronto/GTA)

For more information about the Tele-Mental Health Service contact your nearest Coordination Agency or TeleLink Mental Health.

You can contact TeleLink Mental Health by:

• telephone:  1-877-507-7301
• email: telepsychiatry.inquiries@sickkids.ca

Youth Wellness Hubs

• Easily accessible services for youth aged 12-25 and their families  located all in one convenient, welcoming place designed with youth, for youth
• Offer convenient and faster access to Integrated Youth Services (IYS) including mental health services, support for substance use concerns, primary health care, social services, housing, employment and more with a network of 22 hubs across Ontario serving more than 30 communities
• Services are free and range from low to high intensity supports including rapid walk-in services, booked appointments and virtual services
• Find a Youth Wellness Hub in your community

Helplines

In the event of an emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital or emergency department.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact:

Kids Help Phone

• For children and youth
• Provides professional counselling and information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being
• Phone and online via web post or live chat
• Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Free, anonymous and confidential
• Call:  1-800-668-6868  to speak with a professional counsellor
• Text: CONNECT to 686868 to connect with a trained, volunteer Crisis Responder

Good2Talk

• For people between the ages of 17-25
• For post-secondary students in Ontario
• Provides professional counselling and information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being
• Free, confidential and anonymous helpline
• Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Call:  1-866-925-5454  to speak with a professional counsellor
• Text: GOOD2TALKON to 686868 with a trained, volunteer Crisis Responder

Mental Health Helpline

• All ages
• Provides information about counselling services and supports in your community
• Listens, offers support and provide strategies to help you meet your goals
• Provides basic education about mental illness
• Call:  1-866-531-2600

Ontario Distress Centres

• All ages
• A free telephone help-line for people experiencing emotional distress (including suicide)
• Provide listening and referral services primarily through highly trained volunteers
• Most centres are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Call a distress centre in your area
  • Free, confidential, immediate mental health support for children and youth under 18 years of age
  • Call 1-855-416-8255 or visit onestoptalk.ca to video chat with a trained clinician, Monday to Friday, 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.; Saturday, 12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
  • Services are offered in over 200 languages and dialects
  • Each individual session will be 1 hour long
  • There is no limit to the number of sessions you can access
  • Offers personalized plans to guide your next steps in accessing the care and support you need
  • Referrals to local child and youth mental health supports are available as needed

If you or someone you know is NOT in crisis but needs help, please contact:

One Stop Talk

• Free, confidential, immediate mental health support for children and youth under 18 years of age
• Call 1-855-416-8255 or visit onestoptalk.ca to video chat with a trained clinician, Monday to Friday, 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.; Saturday, 12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
• Services are offered in over 200 languages and dialects
• Each individual session will be 1 hour long
• There is no limit to the number of sessions you can access
• Offers personalized plans to guide your next steps in accessing the care and support you need
• Referrals to local child and youth mental health supports are available as needed

Resources

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario

• A pediatric health and research center providing family-centred patient care for children and youth aged 18 and under
• Runs specialized programs for eating disorders, autism, psychiatric mental health, sexual assault, telepsychiatry and early language development

Children’s Mental Health Ontario

• Represents and supports the providers of child and youth mental health treatment services
• Includes 85 accredited children’s mental health centres that provide support to families and treatment to young people facing mental health problems
• Services are provided at no cost to clients
• Find a children’s mental health centre in your community

Mindyourmind

• A space where youth can get information, resources and tools to manage stress, crisis and mental health related problems
• Inspires youth to reach out, to get help for themselves or to give help to their friends who may be experiencing tough times