Monthly Archives: January 2018

Crisis Centres

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If you need help in an emergency or are in crisis:

  •   Visit your local emergency department or call 911
  •   Contact a distress centre in Ontario near you (phone numbers provided below)

Support is available. You are valued and you matter. Please reach out.

Distress lines

Operated by various agencies.  When in need of someone to talk to. Open 24 hours a day (unless otherwise indicated).

Toronto Distress Centres (416) 408-4357 or 408-HELP

Gerstein Centre 416-929-5200

Telecare (Mandarin & Cantonese), 416-920-0497

Contact Centre Telecare Peel 905-459-7777, Languages: English, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Spanish, Portuguese

Assaulted Women’s Helpline 416-863-0511, Toll-free: 1-866-863-0511 TTY 1-866-863-7868

Warm Line, Progress Place 416-960-9276 or 416-960-WARM, every day from 8pm to 12 midnight

Kids Help Phone at 1 800 668-6868

Distress Centre Peel 905-278-7208

Durham Crisis Line 905-666-0483

Oakville Distress Centre – 905-849-4541

Trans Life Line: 877-330-6366

LGBTQ+ Youthline: 1-800- 268-9688

Services for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse:1-866-887-0015

Toronto Rape Crisis Centre / Multicultural Women Against Rape: 416-597-8808

Connex Addiction / Mental Health / Gambling:1-866-531-2600

Good2Talk Post-Secondary Line: 1-866-925-5454

Talk 4 Healing for Indigenous women: 1-855-554-HEAL 

Anishnawbe Health 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Management Service: 1-855-242-3310

Black Youth Helpline: 416-285-9944

Youthdale Crisis Support Team: 416-363-9990

Crisis addiction services

Toronto Withdrawal Management System

1-866-366-9513 Hours: 24/7, 365 days a year. Central Access is a primary point of entry into the Toronto Withdrawal Management Services system referral system (operated by St. Michael’s Hospital)

Mobile crisis response teams (24hrs/7days)

Toronto:

  •  Gerstein Centre Crisis Line –416-929-5200service borders: south to the lake, north to Eglington, east to Bayview to Danforth and then to Victoria Park, west to Jane St..
  •  St. Mike’s Hospital Mobile Crisis Team via Police Department (911)accessible through police (no direct number).

North York/ Etobicoke:

  •  Provided by St. Elizabeth Health Care416-498-0043, Service borders: South to the lake to Jane, to Eglington, Eglington east to Victoria Park, north to Steeles, and west to Hwy 427
  •  St. Joseph’s Hospital Mobile Crisis Team via Police Department(911)accessible through police (no direct number).

Scarborough/East York:

  • ScarboroughHospital Regional Mobile Crisis Team 416-495-2891. Service borders: south to the lake, north to Steeles Ave., east to Port Union Rd., and west to Victoria Park

York Region:

  •  Community Crisis Response Service, Distress Centre, 905-310-COPE (2673)

Peel Region:

  •  Mobile Crisis of Peel 905-278-9036, (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon)
  •  CreditValley Hospital905-813-4141. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday and Statutory holidays, 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Hamilton:

  •  St. Joseph’s Hospital Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST),905-972-8338

Durham:

Halton:

  •  Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST)1-877-825-9011. Covers: Oakville, Milton, Georgetown, Acton and Burlington

Dual Diagnosis crisis services

Peel Crisis Capacity Network 905 273-4900
Provides crisis response services within 24 hours to individuals with a developmental disability (including dual diagnosis) who are 11 years of age or older.

New Year 2018

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2017 ended with what felt like gale force winds and stormy skies. It was an interesting year for sure. It showered me with a few blessings, a new place, a new full-time job in a career I thoroughly enjoy, a teenager…
 
And it was wrought with pain and hurt, filled with challenge after challenge that tested my strength on every level. The challenges got worse as the year progressed. Physical and mental health challenges, relationship challenges, that teenager… oh what a challenge that one!! Ending…literally days before Christmas… with the closure of my workplace that had felt like home and the loss of that full-time job that had allowed me the shifts that I had made in my life this year.
 
And the weight of the last few months was almost unbearable. I felt myself suffocating, drowning, barely clinging on… almost ready to quit it all.
 
And so I did what I do when the world starts to spin out of control. I withdrew from the chaos and found the eye in the storm, that quiet place within, from which I watch my life and anchor down the things that are spinning out of control.
 
I took stock of my strengths and reminded myself of who I am.
I replayed the mistakes I made and took notes so I can learn from them and not repeat them.
I flexed my emotional and mental muscles so I don’t get crushed by the weight of those painful emotions and negative thoughts.
 
I am not the storm.
I am not the chaos.
I am not the pain.
 
I am stronger and bigger than all of it. And I am more than capable of overcoming these challenges. Because I never give up. And I will never surrender. I will be the change I want to see.
 
Nothing worth having comes easy, and I have always fought to create the things I want in life. I have learned that the things that I want are worth the effort. And so I begin 2018… a little banged up, a little bruised… but stronger, wiser and more self-aware than I was last year. More determined to chase away the demons that plague me and more solid in my resolve to strengthen myself so that I can weather any storm heading my way.
 
For they will come.
 
And I will be ready.
 
Happy new year.
May we all find the courage to face our demons and the strength to weather the storms that are coming.