Online Support
In case of an emergency, please go to the emergency department of your nearest general hospital or call 911. If you’re experiencing a non-emergency crisis, you can check out the resources below to help you get through it.
Distress and Crisis Lines:
The Distress Centre answers calls 24/7, with crisis line specialists providing confidential, bilingual support. Callers can reach the Centre at 613-238-3311.
***NEW*** You can now text and chat with the Distress Centre between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., 7 days a week — text 343-306-5550 or chat www.dcottawa.on.ca
The Mental Health Crisis Line is bilingual and answers calls for people ages 16 or older 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers can reach the line at 613-722-6914.
Tel-Aide Outaouais offers French-language mental health telephone support from 8 a.m. to midnight every day. Ottawa residents can call 613-741-6433 and Gatineau residents can contact 819-775-3223.
Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) provides confidential phone and web counselling for children ages 20 and under, 24/7.
Youth Services Bureau (YSB) provides youth and family counselling, crisis support, a 24/7 crisis line at 613-260-2360, walk-in counselling and an online crisis chat service for youth at http://chat.ysb.ca.
Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre: The ORCC supports and empowers trans and cis women, trans men, two-spirit, gender-fluid, and non-binary survivors. The crisis line provides service 7 days a week to survivors of sexual violence, supporters, family and friends of survivors. Accompaniment can be arranged through the Crisis Line to hospital and police. Reach someone now by calling 613-562-2333.
Fem-Aide (Violence envers les femmes) Fem’aide est disponible 24/7 : 1-877-336-2433.
Good2Talk: for post-secondary students, available 24/7: 1-866-925-5454.
Centre des services communautaires/Vanier Community Service Centre, Crisis counselling: 613-744-2892 ext. 0
The Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre Telephone Counselling: 613-235-2516 x 0
Crisis Text Line is powered by the Kids Help Phone. It’s open to adults who would rather text someone about their crisis. Crisis Text Line provides access to free, 24/7 support and information via the medium people already use and trust: text.
The National Overdose Response Service (NORS) is a national phone-based overdose prevention service to support Canadians and countless Indigenous communities. The service works by calling 1-888-688-NORS (6677). A caller is then connected to a virtual overdose supervisor who will monitor them for 15-30 min after they use. During the call, if there is a concern of overdose, such as the client becoming non-responsive, the supervisor will connect with local 911 dispatch services.