Local Support Services
Community Crisis Centre: Hôtel Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH)
HDGH’s Community Crisis Centre offers mental health services for individuals ages 16+ who are experiencing an acute mental illness and/or psychosocial crisis. The Community Crisis Centre offers intervention services 24/7 to individuals who require immediate assessment, psychosocial intervention, medical intervention or support. Services are provided at no cost upon presentation of a valid OHIP card. Available services include:
- 24-Hour Crisis Telephone Line: 519-973-4435.
- Walk-In Crisis Services: Community Crisis Centre within the Transitional Stability Centre
744 Ouellette Avenue
8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. 7 days/week - Windsor Regional Hospital: Ouellette Campus, Emergency Department
1030 Ouellette Avenue
7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. 7 days/week
The Mental Health & Addictions Urgent Care Centre (MHAUCC)
The Mental Health & Addictions Urgent Care Centre (MHAUCC) was developed by CMHA-WECB and HDGH in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This service is intended to support individuals aged 16+ who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis and cannot safely wait for community mental health and substance use support. It provides support to individuals who are experiencing an urgent mental health or substance use concern and require urgent care. It also serves individuals who are at risk of worsening mental health conditions during the pandemic and may require hospitalization.
Services are available at the Crisis and Mental Wellness Centre (TSC), which is located at 744 Ouellette Avenue. For more information about the services and programs available, please contact at 519-257-5111 ext. 77968.
Hours of operation for the MHAUCC are Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Self-referral, physician and healthcare provider referrals are accepted. Walk-in services are offered during all hours of operation.
Canadian Mental Health Association – Windsor-Essex County Branch (CMHA-WECB)
The Canadian Mental Health Association – Windsor-Essex County Branch offers a variety of mental health programs and services, including those for individuals with serious to moderate mental illnesses, substance use issues, bereavement issues, and many others. Please visit their website for more information about the programs and services that are available.
A pandemic therapist is currently available through CMHA-WECB to offer support to individuals aged 16+ who are struggling with moderate to severe anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, PTSD, or other mental health concerns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To be referred to this service, please contact the Coordinated Access Line at 519-973-4435.
CMHA-WECB is also offering a free series of Mental Wellness Webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic via Zoom. A wide range of mental health and wellness topics are included in the webinar series.
Some topics are:
- Bereavement
- Parenting through Grief
- Yoga For Healthy Living
- First Responder Family Mental Health
- Sobriety Support (S.T.A.G.E.S)
To register for a webinar(s), please visit CMHA-WECB’s online registration page.
Pre-recorded webinars on mental health and wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic can also be found on CMHA-WECB’s Youtube channel.
CommUnity Partnership (CUP)
CommUnity Partnership is offering their client services via telephone, email and in-person by appointment. Client services include counselling, wellness checks, advocacy, and support. To access services, please contact CUP by phone at 519-966-8203 or by email at [email protected].
Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC)
The Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) is providing crisis counselling support services by telephone to individuals from First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please contact SOAHAC by phone at 519-916-1755 for more information about the services available or to schedule a telephone appointment.
Mental Health Connections
Mental Health Connections is a local organization that provides psycho-social rehabilitative services to clients with a mental illness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mental Health Connections is offering a number of online programs and classes, including those that focus on self-care and meditation (mindfulness), recovery strategies, anxiety/depression, and fitness. To learn more about the online programs/classes that are available and/or to register for a program/class, please contact Mental Health Connections at 519-256-4854 or click here to see their Monthly Calendar.
Family Services Windsor-Essex (FSWE) – Counselling Appointments and Walk-In Counselling Clinics
Counselling appointments and walk-in counselling clinics are available through Family Services Windsor-Essex. Affordable counselling fees are determined through a sliding scale based on household income, family size, and ability to pay, which may be covered through a workplace Employee Assistance Program, a healthcare benefit/package, or a financial subsidy.
At this time, counselling appointments and walk-in counselling clinics are being coordinated and offered over the phone by calling 1-888-933-1831 or 519-966-5010. Limited in-person appointments are available at this time. Please contact FSWE directly by telephone to set up a telephone session with a qualified counsellor.
Trans Wellness Ontario
Trans Wellness Ontario, formerly known as Windsor-Essex Transgender & Allied Support (W.E. Trans Support) is a local organization that provides health and wellness services to LGBTQIA2S+ communities and their families. Programs and services available during the COVID-19 pandemic include:
- Counselling Services – Counselling services are currently being conducted over the phone or through Doxy due to COVID-19 restrictions. To book an intake, please call the reception desk at 226-674-4745 or email [email protected].
- Support Groups – Support groups provide the opportunity for community members to connect with each other in a safe and welcoming environment and to explore their identity, emotions, and experiences. Each group is facilitated by staff members with lived experience. All support groups are currently talking place through Zoom. If you are interested in joining a support group, please email [email protected] with your name, pronouns, and what group(s) you are interested in joining.
To learn more about other programs and services available, please visit https://www.transwellness.ca/.
Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre (WECHC)
The Windsor Essex Community Health Centre offers a variety of services for mental health and mental health promotion. Visit wechc.org for information about the programs offered at their various locations including:
- Teen Health Centre (12-24 years) – Offers individual and group counselling for youth aged 12-24 on a wide variety of topics (including depression, anxiety, substance use, grief, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and eating disorders).
Province-Wide Services (Virtual and/or Telephone-based)
Bounce Back Ontario
Bounce Back Ontario is a free skill-building program managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). It is designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, and anxiety, stress, or worry. Delivered over the phone with a coach and through online videos, individuals will have access to tools that will support them on their path to mental wellness.
Centre for Addiction & Mental Health – HOPE Mobile Application
Hope by CAMH is a free smartphone app that provides suicide prevention information, tools and crisis resources to support and guide individuals when they are experiencing thoughts of suicide.
One of the key features of this app is the ability for individuals to create a personalized suicide safety plan, which can be done in consultation with their healthcare professional, loved one, or someone who they have a trusting relationship with.
The Hope by CAMH safety plan can be accessed at any time – especially if an individual is experiencing thoughts of suicide – and it can be updated as their situation changes.
It is now available for download on Android and iOS.
Togetherall
The Togetherall is an online community that allows individuals to interact with a supportive network of community members when dealing with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. Services are clinically managed and designed to support those with mild to moderate need, while having the infrastructure to case manage individuals at risk. The Big White Wall also offers a vibrant peer-to-peer community where individuals with shared experiences can receive and offer support to one another. Services can be accessed by online members 24/7. These services are also moderated 24/7 by trained practitioners who keep online members safe and facilitate the process of helping people in an online environment.
Centre for Addiction & Mental Health (CAMH) – Managing Your Stress and Anxiety during COVID-19 Mobile Application
The Centre for Addiction & Mental Health has developed a mobile application in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that provides evidence-based coping strategies to help people manage stress and anxiety during this time. The mobile application is available for download on Android and iOS. To learn more about the mobile application, please visit CAMH’s website.
Hope by CAMH is a free smartphone app that provides suicide prevention information, tools and crisis resources to support and guide individuals when they are experiencing thoughts of suicide.
One of the key features of this app is the ability for individuals to create a personalized suicide safety plan, which can be done in consultation with their healthcare professional, loved one, or someone who they have a trusting relationship with.
The Hope by CAMH safety plan can be accessed at any time – especially if an individual is experiencing thoughts of suicide – and it can be updated as their situation changes.
Wellness Together Canada: Mental Health and Substance Use Support
Wellness Together Canada This service connects Canadians to peer support workers, social workers, psychologists, and other professionals for confidential chat sessions or phone calls. The online portal also makes it easier to find credible information about COVID-19 and can help individuals address mental health and substance use issues.
Good 2 Talk
Good 2 Talk provides free and confidential mental health and substance use support services for post-secondary students in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic. To access services, please call 1-866-925-5454 or text 686868.
Hope for Wellness Hotline
The Hope for Wellness Hotline offers immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention services to all persons who are Indigenous across Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telephone support is available 24/7 by phone at 1-855-242-3310 or through online chat. Offers immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention to all Indigenous peoples across Canada. Phone and chat counselling is available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway and Inuktitut.
Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program
The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program provides mental health, emotional and cultural support services to eligible former Indian Residential School students and their families throughout all phases of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement.
National Indian Residential School Crisis Line
A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former Residential School students. You can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling 24-Hour National Crisis Line:1-866-925-4419
Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Inquiry Support Line
A 24 hour national line has been set up to provide support for individuals affected by a missing or murdered Indigenous woman/girl’s experience. Call 1-844-413-6649 to access support.
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