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Emergency Services, Mental Health and Addictions

Call 9-1-1 only in an emergency. Non-emergency service numbers are listed in your local telephone book.

How do I use 9-1-1 emergency services?
Call 9-1-1 only in an emergency. Non-emergency service numbers are listed in your local telephone book.

How can I get mental health help in a crisis?
Crisis or distress centres provide free and confidential telephone counselling, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most general and psychiatric hospitals also offers crisis intervention services.

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Who can I call if I am in crisis?
Your local telephone book also lists crisis lines for specific situations. Telehealth Ontario is a free, confidential telephone service you can call to get health advice or general health information from a Registered Nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Where can I find hospital locations?
You can look in the Business section or Yellow Pages of your telephone book under “hospital.”

Mental Health

What is mental illness?
Mental illness affects people of all ages, ethnicities, religions, occupations, and levels of education. One in four Canadians experience mental illness at some point in their lives.

How can I get mental health help?
Your family doctor can diagnose and treat mental health risks or refer you to a mental health professional. Mental health professionals are trained to diagnose, treat, and help prevent mental illness through therapy or counselling or medication.

How do I deal with the stress of change?
Change is inevitable. You've moved your entire life to a new country and are facing many new challenges and barriers. You can use these challenges to your advantage, if you can turn them into positive learning experiences.

What are my rights as a mental health patient?
If you are a danger to yourself or to others, a doctor may, by law, make you stay in the hospital. You may also be forced to take medication. During this time, you have the right to a lawyer.

What services are available for victims of torture?
Refugees often require special counselling to repair the physical and psychological damage produced by these experiences. The Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT) is a non-profit organization of doctors, lawyers, social workers and community groups that helps victims to integrate successfully into Canadian society.

Addictions

What is substance/drug abuse?
Any substance that changes the way the body or the mind functions is a drug. People become addicted to many different types of drugs, both legal and illegal.

Where can I get help with alcohol or drug addiction?
Treatment centres are located in general or psychiatric hospitals and private clinics. Some local non-profit organizations may also offer addiction programs. Patients may reside at the centre while receiving treatment or be treated as outpatients.

Where can I get help with gambling problems?
Problem or compulsive gambling is another addiction that affects many people. Some treatment centres (discussed in "Harm Reduction and Substance Abuse") also run recovery programs for problem gamblers.