Emergency Resources

911 Emergency Services
If experiencing an emergency call: 911
911 is a service number you can call when dealing with an immediate emergency. This can include serious suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, serious harm to yourself or others, or the threat of being harmed. A 911 responder will send police or other emergency services as needed. This service provides 24 hours support, 7 days a week and is free to use. 

Durham Mental Health Services
To contact call: 905-666-0483
Crisis support available 24/7
Offers crisis beds as well as mental health safe beds for those suffering from mental illness that are connected to the justice system. Offers support to those at suicidal risk.

408 HELP-LINE: Distress Centres of Greater Toronto
To contact call: (416) 408-4357
31 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5G 1B1
Provides 24-hour support to anyone who calls in need of support while in crisis. This service is for anyone in distress, and if one is in a suicidal crisis, emergency services will be contacted while a member of the distress centres talks to and provides support to the person in crisis as they await emergency responders.

Youthdale Psychiatric Crisis Services
To contact call: 416-363-9990
227 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8
24-hour service for youth 
This service assesses the youth’s risk, mental status and needs through a telephone intake session, and provides a mobile crisis team where necessary. Youth can be admitted, or referred elsewhere

Gerstein Crisis Centre
To contact call: 416-929-5200
100 Charles St E, Toronto, ON M4Y 1V3
24-hour service for adults in crisis.
Gerstein offers telephone help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They also offer a mobile crisis team that meets with the person in person, referrals in the community, substance use crisis support, access to short-term crisis beds and follow-up. Gerstein offers support to individuals in crisis.

Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences
Ontario Shores Crisis Hotline: 1-800-263-2679
To contact call: (905) 430-4055
Location: 700 Gordon St, Whitby, ON L1N 5S9
Open 24/7
Ontario Shores provides assessment and treatment to those living with serious mental illnesses. Ontario Shores offers short-term crisis intervention. If one is presenting with suicidal ideation, they can present to Ontario Shores for crisis intervention and get admitted for this reason as an inpatient.

The Canada Suicide Prevention Service
To contact call: 1-833-456- 4566
Available 24/7
Offers support to those experiencing suicidal ideation. Offers a safe space to talk. Also services those who know someone who wants to commit suicide, and offers them support as to how to help the person experiencing suicidal ideation. In addition, they offer support for those who have lost a person to suicide.

Distress Centre Durham
To contact call: (905) 430-2522 | 1-800-452-0688
24/7 Service.
This service offers a hotline in which volunteers will assess risk for suicide, help individuals suffering from suicidal ideation by offering a listening ear, as well as contact emergency services when necessary.

Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams (MCIT)
To contact call: 416-808-2222
This program offers a mental health nurse, as well as a specially trained police officer to visit the person in crisis and do an assessment, attempt to de-escalate the crisis, provide counselling, and take the individual to an emergency room if the individual is a risk to self or others. One can also get in contact with this service by calling 911.

Stella’s Place
To contact call: (416) 461-2345
18 Camden St, Toronto, ON M5V 1V1
This service provides mental health support to individuals aged 16-29. It provides supportive counselling to people within the age range and connects individuals in suicidal crisis to emergency services

Hospitals and Crisis Beds

CAMH (The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health)
To contact call: (416) 535-8501
250 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8
CAMH emergency department offers 24/7 emergency psychiatric services for adults with mental illnesses and substance use issues. Provides assessment, observation, and treatment to the adult population assessed in the emergency room of CAMH, or those who are awaiting an inpatient bed in the hospital.

Margaret’s Housing and Community Support Services
To contact call: 416-463-1481
301 Broadview Ave, Toronto, ON  M4M 2G8
Margaret’s Housing and Community Support Services offers housing support as well as ongoing mental health support to women who have mental illnesses. They also have crisis beds for women who are experiencing a crisis, and these women can stay for up to 7 days. Margaret’s will connect one in crisis to appropriate resources if need be.

Toronto Western Hospital Emergency Room
To contact call: (416) 603-2581
Open 24/7
399 Bathurst Street (Enter from Dundas Street) Fell Pavillion, 1st Floor, Toronto, ON
If one is presenting with suicidal ideation, they can present to Toronto Western for crisis intervention and get admitted for this reason as an inpatient to the psychiatric ward.

St. Michael’s Hospital Emergency Room
To contact call: (416) 360-4000
Location: 36 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8
Open 24/7
If one is presenting with suicidal ideation, they can present to St. Michael’s Hospital for crisis intervention and get admitted for this reason as an inpatient to the psychiatric ward.

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Emergency Room
To contact call: (416) 480-6100
Location: 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5
Open 24/7
If one is presenting with suicidal ideation, they can present to St. Michael’s Hospital for crisis intervention and get admitted for this reason as an inpatient to the psychiatric ward.

Pagan III, G. (2020). [Pole with sticker] [Photograph]. Unsplash. https://unsplash.com/photos/2nbIfDeT4t4