Community & Crisis Resources

Healing doesn't happen in isolation — it happens in community. This page gathers crisis lines, culturally specific supports, and local services we know and trust. It's here for our clients, for their families, and for anyone who lands on this page needing help tonight.

If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911. For mental health crisis support anywhere in Canada, call or text 9-8-8 — free, confidential, 24/7.

If you need support right now

• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline — call or text 9-8-8, 24/7, in English and French.
• COAST Hamilton (Crisis Outreach and Support Team) — 905-972-8338 — 24/7 crisis line and mobile team for Hamilton residents experiencing a mental health crisis.
• Kids Help Phone — 1-800-668-6868, or text CONNECT to 686868 — for children, youth, and young adults, 24/7, with support in multiple languages.
• Assaulted Women's Helpline — 1-866-863-0511 — 24/7, anonymous, with interpretation in up to 150 languages.
• Talk4Healing — 1-855-554-4325 — culturally grounded 24/7 help line for Indigenous women in Ontario, offered in 14 languages.

You don't need to be suicidal to call a crisis line. Overwhelmed counts. Scared counts. Not sure counts.

Indigenous mental health & wellness

• Hope for Wellness Helpline — 1-855-242-3310 or chat at hopeforwellness.ca — 24/7 support for all Indigenous peoples in Canada, with counselling available in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut on request.
• MMIWG Crisis Line — 1-844-413-6649 — 24/7 support for anyone impacted by the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
• De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre (Hamilton) — Indigenous-led primary care and traditional healing services. 

Muslim community mental health

• Canadian Muslim Counselling (CMC) — (437) 886-6309 · muslimcounselling.ca · info@muslimcounselling.ca
• Nisa Helpline — 1-888-315-6472 — confidential, faith-informed peer support for Muslim women; Nisa Foundation main line 1-888-711-6472 · nisafoundation.ca
• Institute for Muslim Mental Health – Canada (IMMH) — 204-944-1560 · immhcanada.com
• Muslim Medical Association of Canada (MMAC) — (416) 792-2654 · muslimmeds.ca · community@muslimmeds.ca

2SLGBTQ+ support

• LGBT Youthline (Ontario) — 1-800-268-9688 or text 647-694-4275 — peer support for 2SLGBTQ+ youth 29 and under.
• Trans Lifeline — 1-877-330-6366 — peer support run by and for trans people.
• The Well / Hamilton's 2SLGBTQ+ community programs — 

Newcomers, refugees & settlement support

• Wesley Urban Ministries (Hamilton) — settlement services, housing help, and newcomer programs. 
• YMCA Immigrant Services Hamilton — settlement counselling, language assessment, and employment support. 
• Micah House (Hamilton) — reception and support services for refugee claimants. 
• Legal Aid Ontario — Refugee Law — 1-800-668-8258 — legal help for refugee claims and immigration matters for those who qualify financially.

If you are a refugee claimant or protected person, your therapy with us may be fully covered under IFHP — see our Fees & Coverage page or ask us at your free consultation.

Violence, abuse & sexual assault

• SACHA (Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton) — 24-hour support line: 905-525-4162 — feminist, community-based support for anyone who has experienced sexualized violence at any point in their lives.
• Interval House of Hamilton —  — shelter and support for women and children fleeing violence.
• Assaulted Women's Helpline — 1-866-863-0511 (also listed above) — safety planning and referrals across Ontario.

Hamilton community mental health & basic needs

• CMHA Hamilton — community mental health programs and services for adults living with serious mental illness and substance use concerns.
• Good Shepherd Hamilton — person-centred health, housing, food, and human services across Greater Hamilton.
• ConnexOntario — 1-866-531-2600 — free, 24/7 navigation line for mental health, addiction, and problem gambling services anywhere in Ontario.
• 211 Ontario — dial 2-1-1 — connects you to community, social, and government services, with interpretation available.

A note about this list

We update this page regularly, but programs and phone numbers change. If you find a broken link or a number that no longer works, please tell us at info@icacounselling.ca — you'll be helping the next person who needs it. Inclusion on this list is informational and doesn't replace professional care; if you're an ICA client and unsure where to turn, reach out to your clinician.