We care about your safety. Below you will find a listing of some help lines and services that you might need in difficult times.

Kids help phone 1-800-668-6868

Teen Legal Helpline

Assaulted Women’s Helpline
1-866-863-0511 (toll free) or 1-866-863-7868 (TTY) or 416-863-0511 (Toronto). This confidential, 24-hour province-wide helpline offers crisis counseling, emotional support, safety planning, and referrals for women needing a shelter, legal advice or other supports. This service is free and is available in over 100 different languages including 17 Aboriginal languages.

Femaide: Crisis Line for Women who are Victims of Violence
1-877–FEMAIDE or 1-877-336-2433 (toll-free) or 1-866-860-7082 (TTY)
This confidential, 24-hour province-wide crisis and support number automatically connects the caller to a crisis line for French-speaking women who are victims of violence. It offers emotional support, safety planning and referrals for women who need shelter, counseling or other support. Calls are directed in priority sequence to one of the three regional lines in the province.

Violence Against Women Shelters

Find a women’s shelter for emergency housing and food. Shelters also provide counselling, support and Ontario 211 has a list of domestic violence women’s shelters.

Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centers

Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centres offer a wide variety of services to victims and survivors of sexual violence, 16 years and over. Services include a 24-hour anonymous crisis/support telephone line, individual and group counselling, court, police and hospital accompaniment, information on the legal system, and community referrals. Francophone services are available in designated areas. The Ontario Network of Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centers provides more information on these services and the location and contact information of centres across the province.

Other Services for Victims of Crime

Services provided by the Ministry of Attorney General
The Ministry of Attorney General provides information on programs and services for victims of crime, including:

• The Victim Support Line is a free, province-wide information line that provides a range of services to victims of crime. Victims may speak directly with an information and referral counsellor at Findhelp, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, about supports and services that are available in their community;
• The Victim Witness Assistance Program, a court-based program, provides services to victims and witnesses by offering emotional support, court preparation, and referrals to counselling and other services;
• The Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Services network is a community response program providing immediate, on-site assistance to victims of crime 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
• The Victim Quick Response Program provides eligible victims with immediate assistance for emergency expenses, counselling services and funeral expenses. In most locations, Victim Crisis Assistance and Referral Services administer the program;
• The SupportLink Program provides victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking with intensive safety planning and 911-programmed cell phones, in 20 Ontario locations.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Board

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, an independent agency of the Ministry of Attorney General, provides victims of crime the financial means to overcome the hardship they experience as a result of their victimization. The Board assesses financial compensation for victims of violent crime committed in Ontario who qualify under the Compensation for Victims of Crime Act.

Safety Planning

Creating a Safety Plan
A safety plan helps women experiencing abuse reduce the risk of further violence to themselves and their children. It involves identifying steps to increase one’s safety and to prepare for the possibility of further violence.

Information and advice on safety planning is available through:

• Safety Planning for Women Who are Abused (Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign)
• Creating a Safety Plan (Peel Committee Against Woman Abuse)
• Safety Planning (Springtide Resources)