Toronto region resources
Phone line resources for children and youth:
If you are being abused and need immediate help, contact:
9-1-1 for emergencies
(416) 808-2222 non emergency Toronto Police
Kids Help Phone (for children & youth who are in distress)
1-800-668-6868
Provides information on resources for children & youth
Bullying Help Line (for youth who have been bullied or for youth who exhibit bullying behavior to seek help)
1-888-456-2323
Helping children & youth to resolve their current issues with bullying.
Child Abuse Hotline (support for children & youth who are witnessing abuse or who are being abused)
1-800-387-KIDS (5437)
- Safety risk assessment
- Safety planning
- Referrals for additional support like Children and Family Services, in-home support, family aid workers, Youth Workers, etc...
Distress Line
416-408-HELP (4357) 24/7
- Immediate access to emotional support from the safety and security of the closest telephone
- Callers can express their thoughts and feelings in confidence.
- Callers' issues include problems related to domestic violence, social isolation, suicide, addictions, mental and physical health concerns. Distress Centres offers emotional support, crisis intervention, suicide prevention and linkage to emergency help when necessary.
- Access to a confidential interpreter for callers in crisis, offered in 151 languages.
- TTY service for the hearing impaired
Comprehensive resources for children and youth:
BOOST Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention
890 Yonge Street, 11th Floor,
Toronto, ON M4W 3P4
Tel: (416) 515-1100
Fax: (416) 515-1227
Email: Info@boostforkids.org
Webpage: www.boostforkids.org
Boost is committed to eliminating abuse and violence in the lives of children, youth, and their families. The centre is a registered charity and provides programs and services to children, youth, and their families in Toronto and surrounding areas. In 2008, Boost opened two new locations in Central Ontario to deliver court preparation and support to children and youth. In 2009/2010, in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Toronto, Boost is providing training to professionals in 16 cities and towns across Ontario to recognize and respond to suspicions of child abuse.
Boost provides programs and services to children, youth, their families, professionals and communities to prevent and respond to abuse and violence.
Boost provides the following programs and services:
- Counselling
- Child Victim Witness Support Programs
- Prevention programs
- Training
Child Development Institute
197 Euclid Ave.
Toronto, Ontario M6J 2J8
Tel: (416) 603-1827
Fax: (416) 603-6655
Email: info@childdevelop.ca
Webpage: www.childdevelop.ca
Child Development Institute, in partnership with parents and communities, is committed to strengthening families and promoting healthy child development. They provide child development, early intervention, and family violence services for children under the age of 12 and their families. They serve children and families through a spectrum of services from universal prevention and healthy child development programs, to early intervention programs targeted to vulnerable or at-risk children and their families.
They offer the following programs and services:
Family Violence:
We offer individual and group counselling approaches, including on-site counselling for women and children living in shelters, as well as support for those children to integrate into their new school. We coordinate treatment services for children and youth who have been sexually abused, and their families. We also provide training and support to professionals providing this treatment.
Early Intervention:
We offer a range of individual, family and group counseling approaches at several of our locations in the City of Toronto and East York and elsewhere in the community. We offer school-based programs, children’s social skills groups, parent training and in-home coaching. We run a summer day camp for children aged 6-12 with severe behaviour problems, and residential services for boys. Counselling services are available in English, Portuguese, Chinese and Spanish. We have speech and language, psychiatry and psychology consultation services, and consultation and support for child care centres working with children who have special needs. In partnership with the Toronto Police Service, we coordinate treatment for children under the age of 12 who have committed offences, and we have services for families recovering from substance abuse.
Victim Services Toronto
40 College Street
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2J3
416-808-7066
http://www.victimservicestoronto.com
Victim Services Toronto operates 24/7 and can help you with:
- Immediate on-site support and crisis intervention
- Assessment of victim’s needs
- Linkages to agencies and resources in the victim’s local community
- Counselling
- Advocacy
- Violence prevention
- Safety services
- Outreach
211 Community Information Toronto
211
www.211toronto.ca
A directory of over 20, 000 community, social, health and government services.
Youth Assisting Youth
5734 Yonge St, Ste 401
Toronto, ON M2M 4E7
1-877-932-1919
mail@yay.org
www.yay.org
Web support for children and youth who are affected by family violence and bullying:
(Anonymous online crisis chat, forums postings, Q & A, resources and materials etc..)
www.youthone.com
www.bullying.org
www.canadiansafeschools.com
www.b-free.ca
Individual counselling support for people who are affected by family violence and bullying:
Family Services Association
416-595-9618
YWCA Breakthrough
416-487-7151
YWCA Here to Help (for children and youth who have witnessed abuse)
416-266-1232
Group Support for children and youth:
Alateen - The Alateen recovery program for young people is intended to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with a problem drinker.
In the GTA, youth should contact the Ontario South Al-Anon + Alateen at:
www.al-anon.alateen.on.ca
Training and workshops for youth:
Canadian Red Cross
www.redcross.ca
RespectED at the Canadian Red Cross works with schools to develop effective anti-bullying policies and procedures. Its Beyond the Hurt program trains youth and adults to facilitate interactive presentations that engage youth in exploring how to stop bullying.
Toronto Region, Central Region, Eastern Region
Debra Cockerton
Email: debra.cockerton@redcross.ca
Southwestern Region, West Central Region, Northern Region
Amy Woods
Email: amy.woods@redcross.ca
Beyond the Hurt -- This program addresses bullying and peer harassment.
East Metro Youth Services
1200 Markham Rd, Ste 200
Toronto, ON M1H 3C3
416-438-3697
emys@emys.on.ca
www.emys.on.ca
East Metro Youth Services is a community-based children's mental health centre, serving young people and their families in East Toronto.
Violence Prevention workshops and programs:
Multimedia and Journalism Program -- multimedia, journalism and social skills for marginalized youth * emphasis on violence prevention and media literacy
Respect In Schools Everywhere (RISE) Program -- youth led school based violence prevention program for grades 7-12 * addresses bullying, cyber-bullying, dating violence and harassment * available to schools and community agencies -- fee
Violence Intervention Project, www.violenceinterventionproject.com -- wide range of services to schools, community centres and other youth-serving organizations organizing and hosting violence prevention forums * framework for youth to contribute ideas for addressing community safety concerns
Youth Outreach Worker Program -- workers assigned to key youth organizations in each of the 13 priority neighbourhoods engage youth and connect them with services, and help coordinate youth activities.
