Delivering clinical service in every corner of Canada
Rapidly scale access to mental health services to meet the extraordinary, unique needs of all youth in every community of Canada.
![A female youth feeling depressed looking down [LEFT] | A male youth sitting down looking at his phone [RIGHT]](/wp-content/uploads/delivering-clinical-service.png)
Access to a service that meets their needs
Our rapidly changing world requires agile and scalable solutions to mental health care. In 1989, Kids Help Phone broke through as a unique phone counselling service. We continue to innovate to this day.
We are Canada’s first and only free, confidential, bilingual, 24/7 e-mental health service for young people. Our ecosystem of integrated clinical services, initiatives and programs is overseen and delivered by mental health professionals and trained volunteers.
Today — through phone, text, chat, peer-to-peer support, resource referrals, hundreds of self-directed digital tools and more — young people have expanded access to a service that better meets their needs, in every moment, from any place.
Tomorrow — we wake up to a changed world, and Kids Help Phone will adapt, expand and scale. We will not waver.
I don’t know if I would have been able to survive the night without you.
— Young person contacting Kids Help Phone
Programs Included
Professional counselling (phone and Live Chat)
At Kids Help Phone, professional counsellors offer young people free, private support in English and French through our phone and Live Chat counselling services.
Crisis texting support
Kids Help Phone’s texting service is the only one of its kind in Canada. Available 24/7 in English and French, this service connects young people with trained, volunteer crisis responders who are supported by professional staff.
The Peer-to-Peer Community at Kids Help Phone
The Peer-to-Peer Community at Kids Help Phone is the only free, moderated, 24/7 digital environment of its kind in Canada.
Resources Around Me
Resources Around Me helps young people find and connect with programs and services nearest their own communities.
Counsellor in the Classroom
Counsellor in the Classroom is an innovative, community-based initiative designed to help students in Grades 6 through 12 connect with Kids Help Phone and learn about mental health.
You Matter
Kids Help Phone wouldn’t exist without our staff and volunteers. That’s why we launched You Matter — our organization-wide well-being strategy.
The Story Studio
The Story Studio is Kids Help Phone’s home for creative storytelling about mental health.
Good2Talk for post-secondary students
To support post-secondary students with the unique challenges they face, we launched Good2Talk — a free, confidential service providing 24/7 professional counselling.
Wellness Together Canada
We’re proud to be a joint venture partner of Wellness Together Canada, an innovative virtual hub with access to mental health and substance use resources for youth and adults across the country.
Program
Professional counselling (phone and Live Chat)
At Kids Help Phone, professional counsellors offer young people free, private support in English and French through our phone and Live Chat counselling services. They can even help youth connect with a trained interpreter to get support over the phone in multiple languages. Our counsellors can also provide referrals to local services and other information designed to help young people find a more hopeful path forward.
FUNDING ENABLES:
- core service delivery
- expansion of staff, including counselling managers and senior counsellors
- expansion of our online chat service and available languages
- professional development and staff wellness supports
Program
The Peer-to-Peer Community at Kids Help Phone
The Peer-to-Peer Community at Kids Help Phone is the only free, moderated, 24/7 digital environment of its kind in Canada. Designed so young people can give and receive support among each other, this service is co-created by youth, anonymous and available in English and French.
FUNDING ENABLES:
- testing of new engagement strategies
- enhancing the platform through accessibility functionalities, links to web resources and a more streamlined user experience
- developing a framework for the next phase of the program
- developing and implementing an improved digital platform based on feedback from youth
Program
Resources Around Me
Resources Around Me helps young people find and connect with programs and services nearest their own communities. It has also proven to be an essential tool for frontline teams and youth-serving organizations, and provides invaluable insights into the needs of young people and the service gaps they face.
FUNDING ENABLES:
- development of an enhanced data storage option
- designing and testing new features to address barriers to accessing services
- increasing the number of resources available, with a focus on equity-deserving groups
- partnership development and youth engagement sessions to help ensure the directory stays relevant and accessible to young people as their needs evolve
Program
The Story Studio
The Story Studio is Kids Help Phone’s home for creative storytelling about mental health. At the Story Studio, we build mental health literacy for young people, caring adults, supporters and staff across Canada by crafting immersive narratives using innovative technology and human insight.
FUNDING ENABLES:
- development of multimedia content, including videos, books, podcasts, games and apps
- content broadcasting and syndication
- youth engagement, including scholarships
- data analysis, program evaluation and knowledge translation
- partnership and information management
Program
Good2Talk for post-secondary students
To support post-secondary students with the unique challenges they face, we launched Good2Talk — a free, confidential service providing 24/7 professional counselling, volunteer crisis support and information and referrals in English, French and Mandarin across Ontario and Nova Scotia.
FUNDING ENABLES:
- professional counselling capacity building, including hiring of new frontline staff and increased IT support
- continued development of an active listening service offered by trained volunteers via text messaging
- professional development of all clinical and volunteer team members
- marketing and outreach to connect with more students who may benefit from Good2Talk