Kids Help Phone 

Address: PO Box 26062, St. John’s, NL A1E 0A5 

Mandate:

To improve the well-being of children and youth in Canada by providing them anonymous and confidential professional counseling, referrals, and information through technologically-based communications media; to continue to improve and grow, ensuring delivery of the most effective, timely and valuable counselling, referrals and information to every young person who could benefit from the support. 

Target Population:

Children and youth ages 5+.

Highlights of Programs/Services Offered:

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support to young people in English and French. 

Professional Phone Counselling 

Professional, confidential, anonymous counselling services to youth, available 24/7 in English and French. Also accessible in Ukrainian, Pashto, Dari, Mandarin, and Arabic through interpretation. 

Professional Chat Counselling 

Professional, confidential, anonymous web based counselling services to youth available from 7pm to midnight E.T. in English or French. 

Crisis Text Line 

• Trained volunteer crisis responders support through text message or Facebook messenger, available 24/7 in English or French.
  • Youth (age 5-25) text “CONNECT” to 686868 or Facebook messenger 
  • Adults (age 25+) text “WELLNESS” to 686868 or Facebook messenger 
  • If you identify as Indigenous, you can ask to be connected with a First Nations, Inuk or Métis crisis responder (if one’s available) by messaging “FIRST NATIONS”, “INUIT” or “METIS” to 686868 or through Facebook Messenger. 
  • If you identify as African, Caribbean, Black or a part of the Afro-diaspora, you can message “RISE” (EN) or “SURMONTER” (FR) to 686868 or through Facebook Messenger. 

Peer to Peer 

An online community of support with other young people across Canada. Throughout these moderated forums, youth can privately share their experiences, offer inspiration and ask questions to connect, comfort and cheer each other on. The forums feature a wide range of topics so that youth can find and share information for specific questions or concerns. 

Note: Forums can be accessed at any time, but posts are reviewed by youth moderators before they are published. While moderators are not available 24/7, posts are generally reviewed within 24 hours 

Resources Around Me 

Database of local and web based mental health/wellness services accessible to young people in their community. 

Kids Help Phone’s Gateway 

Online resource that connects youth and caring adults to e-mental health services and information. 

• Get information about how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours are connected and what you can do to care for your well-being. 
• Practise with tools, tips and resources to help build your skills and improve your wellness in the way that feels best for you. Learn how to identify your strengths, communicate thoughts and feelings, overcome obstacles and connect with support. 
• Explore lived experiences from other young people across Canada. Learn from real-life youth stories, gain new ideas and ask questions to connect and inspire your own wellness journey. 
• If you need help right now, you can talk to a trained volunteer crisis responder about anything you’re going through. No issue is too big or too small. 
• Connect with a professional counsellor to better understand what you’re going through and help take a step in the direction you want to go. 
• Search for physical or virtual support programs and services available to kids, teens and young adults across Canada.