MENTAL HEALTH & SUBSTANCE MISUSE RESOURCES

*Underlined Items are Clickable Links*

    • If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis please connect with the Vancouver Island Crisis line (24/7/365) by phone: 1‑888-494-3888 or text: 250-800-3806 between 6pm-10pm or online at https://www.vicrisis.ca/

    • The Royal Jubilee Hospital Emergency Department (located at 1952 Bay Street, Victoria) where you will be assessed and connected, if appropriate, to the psychiatrist on call.

    • Kuu-us Crisis Line: 24 hour crisis line for First Nations

    • Youth in BC free 24/7 crisis counselling line for youth in BC with online chat from noon until 1 am (up to age 25) by phone or website: https://www.youthinbc.com/

    • If you have access to extended health benefits, this is your first place to connect with. Services are confidential.

    • Free Psychological first-aid for phone based support to any BC resident experiencing stress, anxiety or uncertainty related to the COVID-19 outbreak

    • Free, short-term video/phone counselling for BC residents - email bccovidtherapists@gmail.com

    • First Nations Health Benefits provides clients with access to counselling services from a qualified mental health provider. See their webpage for details.

    • CARES Service - a single point of access to Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) services in Victoria and the Westshore.

    • Citizens Counselling Centre - Offering quality, affordable counselling for individuals, couples & groups.

    • Esquimalt Neighbourhood House - a charitable organization that provides support services to children, youth, adults, families and seniors.

    • Beacon Community Services - various social supports for all stages of life.

    • South Island Centre for Counselling - provides excellent, professional and affordable counselling and training. Sliding scale to ensure counselling is affordable for all.

    • Sooke Family Resource Centre - various child, youth, and family resources, programs, and supports.

    • Pacific Centre Family Services - family violence, youth outreach and email counselling, youth gang and exploitation prevention and intervention, family and couples counselling, counselling to address substance use, mental health counselling, and trauma therapy.

    • Cascadia Counselling - offers a full range of counselling, coaching, consulting and group programs.

    • Victoria Sexual Assault Centre - dedicated to supporting survivors, supporters, and community to heal from sexualized violence through healing services and education programs.

    • Men’s Therapy Centre - support for any man*: cis, gay, bi-sexual, trans, non-binary, 2spirit, queer, gender fluid+, who has experienced emotional, physical or sexual trauma in childhood or as an adult.

    • 1UP Single Parenting Resource Centre - committed to serving the varied and changing needs of single parent families in the Greater Victoria area.

    • Victoria Hospice - provides end-of-life care and services focused on palliative treatment. Our interdisciplinary team provides comfort for patients and support for their family.

    • Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre - serving members, Veterans and their families to juggle work, operational requirements and family responsibilities. 

    • Family Services of Greater Victoria - for all family members facing change and challenges in their relationships.

    • CBT Skills Course - explore a variety of concepts and skills to support you to improve your wellbeing. The programs are physician-led, conducted in groups (online and in person), and are 8-weeks in length. A physician’s referral is required.

    • B Calm - The Art of Living Mindfully - an 8 week course that provides a firm grounding in mindfulness based strategies useful in navigating stress and in recognizing patterns of thought, speech and behaviour that may be contributing to stress and suffering. A physician’s referral is required.

    • Umbrella Society - outreach, recovery housing, counselling, groups, harm reduction and education.

    • Smart Recovery - resources, support, and meetings.

    • CARES Service - a single point of access to Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) services in Victoria and the Westshore.

    • Alcoholics Anonymous- aprogram of recovery that is built on the simple foundation of one alcoholic sharing with another.

    • Narcotics Anonymous - provides meetings and services for those recovering from active addiction.

    • Solid Outreach- experiential street support services to reduce the harms associated with poverty, drug use, and homelessness in Victoria.

    • AVI - harm reduction based education, prevention, and support services.

    • Douglas Street Community Supportive Recovery Program- provides psychosocial and clinical supports for respite from substance use, transition to other opioid replacement therapies, and low-barrier access to safely transition back into community.

    • New Roads - moderate to severe substance use recovery program for males aged 19+.

    • Together We Can - supported recovery-focused living and sober living residences.

    Youth-Specific:

    • Kelty’s Key - online self-help or virtual counselling (free)

    • Discovery Youth Family Substance Use Services - community-based counselling services, access to residential care and treatment for youth struggling with substance use (free)

    • Pacific Centre Family Services - family violence, youth outreach and email counselling, youth gang and exploitation prevention and intervention, family and couples counselling, counselling to address substance use, mental health counselling, and trauma therapy.

    For Parents/Loved Ones:

    • The Foundry is working to make sure all young people in British Columbia can get the care and support they need, when they need it. They are now offering virtual drop-in counselling sessions by voice, video and chat to young people ages 12-24 and their caregivers! Click here for more info.

    • Child and Youth Mental Health: free and voluntary community based mental health supports for 0-18. Self-referral at local intake

    • Here2Talk connects post-secondary students with mental health support when they need it. Through this program, all students currently registered in a B.C. post-secondary institution have access to free, confidential counselling and community referral services, conveniently available 24/7 via app, phone and web.

    • Y Mind Youth (18-30) Anxiety Support Group: a free 7 week program (online) for anyone experiencing mild to moderate stress, worry or anxiety. No referral necessary. Running Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

    • Mind FIT and Mind FIT Outdoors offered by Vancouver Island Y

    • Students at UVIC or Camoson have access through campus Counselling Services and access to Psychiatry through Student Health services

    • Here to Help resource for information, new skills, and to connect with key mental health resources

    • Youth in BC free 24/7 crisis counselling line for youth in BC with online chat until 1 am (up to age 20) by phone or website

    • Kids Help Phone for professional counselling, information, referrals and text-based support to young people

    • Calm Harm App (for self harm)

    • Greater Victoria School District created a Snapshot series on Social and Emotional Wellness

    • Laurie Bayly, an elementary counsellor created a slideshow story to help explainCOVID-19 to children

    • Pacific Centre Family Services - youth talk and other resources