Ontario Mental Health and Addiction Services

ConnexOntario is Ontario’s free, confidential helpline for mental health, addiction, problem gambling, and eating disorder services, funded by the Government of Ontario and Ontario Health. Anyone in Ontario can reach a trained service agent by phone, text, live chat, or email, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No referral, no appointment, and no name is required.

We help people find local treatment services, understand their options, connect with crisis support, and navigate the Ontario healthcare system. Nearly half of the people who contact us are family members, caregivers, or friends reaching out on behalf of a loved one. You don’t need to be struggling yourself to call. We can help you:

  • Find mental health, addiction, problem gambling, or eating disorder services near you
  • Understand your treatment options
  • Learn what to expect from treatment
  • Connect with crisis or urgent support
  • Get help for yourself or someone you care about
  • Access services in more than 130 languages

Connecting You to Mental Health and Addiction Support Services

Mental Health Support

Mental health affects everyone, and no one should suffer in silence. If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or any other mental health issues, we can help you access support. We provide links to a variety of mental health resources in your community, including access to psychiatry, crisis intervention, counselling and psychotherapy, inpatient treatment, housing support, abuse services, and more.

A woman struggling with her mental health.
Addiction treatment and support services from ConnexOntario.

Addiction Treatment & Support

We understand how difficult addiction can be, whether you’re concerned about your own substance use or worried about a loved one. We provide non-judgmental support and connect you with local addictions services. ConnexOntario can help you find support for:

  • Alcohol use
  • Drug use
  • Prescription medication misuse
  • Withdrawal and detox services
  • Long-term treatment programs

We can also connect you with services such as drug and alcohol education, crisis support, harm reduction, counselling, bed-based treatment programs, and family support.

Problem Gambling Services

We know how quickly gambling can turn from a hobby into an addiction, and our team of live agents are here to help you or your loved one navigate the support and resources available. We’ll help you access problem gambling support services without judgment, including educational resources, counselling, family support, case management, and more.

A man dealing with problem gambling.
A woman dealing with an eating disorder.

Eating Disorder Services

Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder can affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Whether you are concerned about your own relationship with food, or you are worried about someone you care about, you are not alone. ConnexOntario can connect you with eating disorder treatment and support services, including outpatient programs, residential care, counselling/therapy, and family support.

What to Expect

When you call or message ConnexOntario, you’ll connect with our team of live agents, who will ask for details about your concerns to provide the right support. Everything you share with us is confidential. We listen without judgment and offer resources to help you find the support you need. Sometimes we can refer you directly to a service; other times, we’ll give you contact information and explain how to proceed.

ConnexOntario is funded by the Government of Ontario and Ontario Health, so most of the treatment programs we connect you with are publicly funded and available at no cost to Ontario residents. You may need your Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card to access some treatment services.

What to expect when you contact ConnexOntario.

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Services

Our team of live service agents will respond to phone calls, texts, chat messages, and emails 24/7. We’ll ask you for non-identifying information like your postal code or the name of your city or town so that we can give you information about services available near you.

In addition to connecting you with local resources, we will:

  • Listen to your concerns with compassion and respect
  • Provide emotional support and supportive listening
  • Share information about treatment options and community services
  • Offer basic education about mental health, substance use, gambling, and eating concerns
  • Help you identify coping strategies and next steps

You do not need to be in crisis to contact us. We are here to answer questions, provide information, and help you explore available support options.

Yes. ConnexOntario’s helpline, text, chat, and email services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays.

Anyone can call, whether it’s for themselves or for someone they care about. Nearly half of our calls come from family and friends who are worried about a loved one facing mental health, gambling, eating disorder, and/or addiction challenges. 

Yes. Many people contact us because they are concerned about a loved one’s mental health, substance use, gambling behaviour, or eating disorder.

We can provide information, support, and guidance to family members, caregivers, partners, and friends who are looking for resources and next steps.

Yes. Healthcare providers, social workers, counsellors, educators, community organizations, and other professionals can contact ConnexOntario to obtain information about available treatment and support services for their clients or patients.

Yes, ConnexOntario’s information, navigation, and referral services are free and confidential for anyone living in Ontario, Canada.

Many of the community-based programs and treatment services we refer people to are also publicly funded and available at no cost, although eligibility requirements may vary by program.

Some treatment programs and healthcare services may require a valid OHIP card, while others do not. Our team can help you understand the requirements for specific services and identify options that best meet your needs.

ConnexOntario does not provide counselling, psychotherapy, or clinical treatment services. However, we do offer compassionate and brief supportive listening, non-judgmental support, and information about available treatment services—including counselling—in your area.

Our team can provide information on mental health, gambling and addictions services in your community. We also listen with compassion, offer support, and help you create strategies to meet your needs. We can provide you with basic education on a variety of mental health, gambling and addictions concerns.


We can offer you the latest information on treatment services, crisis lines, self-help groups, distress centers, and other services in your local area or beyond. Our team has access to our comprehensive health services database, which gives them up-to-date information about mental health, gambling and addiction treatment programs.

Yes. We’re happy to provide general information about the mental health, gambling, and addiction sectors, and to answer any questions you may have. No question is too small! We are always here to help.

Personal Information

No, you are not required to give us your name or any identifying information. If you would like help finding services near you, you may choose to provide your postal code or community name, but this is optional.

You can remain anonymous while receiving information and support from ConnexOntario.

Our team will ask for non-identifying information, such as your postal code or the name of your city or town, so we can provide information about mental health, addiction, problem gambling, and eating disorder services near you.

Anything you share with us is confidential. It will only be shared: 

  • If you agree to a referral, or 
  • If there is a serious risk of harm to you or others 

We encourage you to ask questions during your call or chat session, and if we can’t assist you, we’ll connect you with someone who can. You are not alone. Help is available.

We do have call display. However, we only use it when a caller is at risk of harming themselves or someone else.

Services Outside Ontario

Our team specifically provides information about mental health, gambling and addiction services in Ontario. However, we can sometimes provide contact information for services outside of the province. Our Helpful Links section has a list of organizations and resources available across Canada, the United States, and internationally.

Mental Health and Addiction Support in Other Languages

Looking for mental health and addiction help in other languages? Language barriers can make it hard to access community support and services in Ontario. At ConnexOntario, we can provide our service in more than 130 languages using translation services.

How to Get Help in Your Language:

1 

Call us at 

1-866-531-2600

2 

Identify your language

3

Participate in a three-way call with a translator

Woman working on a laptop

Data Services

ConnexOntario maintains the largest, most comprehensive mental health, gambling and addiction services database in the province. We frequently provide data to researchers and healthcare professionals via our reporting service. Our data can help:

  • Improve access to care
  • Support research and planning
  • Identify service gaps in Ontario

If you are interested in accessing ConnexOntario data or would like to discuss a data-sharing agreement, please email us your request.

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