How to Access Mental Health Support

If It’s an Emergency

• Call the Crisis Services Canada 24-hour hotline:
  • 1-833-456-4566 / Text 45645
  • if you are in Quebec, call: 1-866-277-3553
• or call 9-1-1
• or call Suicide Crisis Helpline
  • Call or text 9-8-8 or visit https://988.ca

Need Emergency Help While Travelling Abroad as a Canadian Team Member?

• Global Affairs Canada can direct you to trusted local resources:
  • sos@international.gc.ca
  • Call direct of collect: 1-613-996-8885
  • WhatsApp: +1-613-909-8881
  • SMS: +1-613-686-3658

If It’s Not an Emergency

If you don’t have extended medical benefits:

• If you have provincial health coverage only, you can talk to your doctor (or any doctor at a walk-in clinic if you don’t have a family doctor) and ask for support and/or a referral to a psychiatrist
• You can book directly with any psychology or counselling practitioner of your choice on a fee-for-service basis
• There may be local services provided by your health authority that you can access:
  • Call 2-1-1 or visit 211.ca
    • Canada’s primary source of information for government and community-based non-clinical health and social servicesFind services in your area
  • A list of services available for all provinces and territories as well as specific demographic groups:
    • French: https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-publique/services/services-sante-mentale/sante-mentale-obtenir-aide.html
    • English: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html

If you Have Extended Medical Benefits:

• Check with your benefits provider to see if you have coverage for psychology or counselling services
  • Check the policy requirements for the types of practitioners they will cover

Provincially Carded Athletes

• Depending on your province and your sport, you may be eligible for mental health support through your provincial team. You could ask your Provincial Team coach for more information.
• You may be eligible to request services (free or fee-for-service) through the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport
  • Eligibility: 16 years or older, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, competitive or high-performance athlete, experiencing mental health challenges
  • Fees: https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/fees
  • Referrals:  https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/refer
• In Quebec, provincial athletes can get help through Sport’Aide:
  • Phone and SMS: 1-833-211-AIDE or 1-833-245-HELP
  • Email or facebook: aide@sportaide.ca or facebook.com/sportaide
  • Online: https://demande.sportaide.ca/demande/ (French) https://demande.sportaide.ca/demande/form_en.php (English)

Provincial or National Team Coaches and Staff members

• You may be eligible to request services (free or fee-for-service) through the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport
  • Eligibility: 16 years or older, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, competitive or high-performance coach or staff member, experiencing mental health challenges
  • Fees: https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/fees
  • Referrals:  https://www.ccmhs-ccsms.ca/refer

Sport Canada Carded Athletes

• AAP carded athletes have access to subsidized mental health care through Game Plan (including up to 2 years following retirement/loss of carding)
  • Talk to a counsellor now: 1-844-240-2990 (24/7/365, through LifeWorks)
  • Connect with a mental health practitioner who knows sport: mentalhealth@mygameplan.ca
    • Confidential
    • Secure
    • $1000 of coverage / year

National Team Coaches and Staff Members

• Game Plan provides mental health supports through LifeWorks (free) and mental health practitioners who know sport (fee-for-service)
  • If you have extended medical benefits through your sports organization, they may cover some or all of the fees

If you are complainant or respondent to a case admissible to OSIC OR are a victim/survivor of Prohibited Behaviour as defined in the UCCMS in a situation that would be admissible to the OSIC, regardless of whether a complaint has been filed

• You may be eligible for mental health services through the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (eligibility criteria are here: https://sportintegritycommissioner.ca/mental-health)
• If you are eligible, you can apply for support by contacting the Canadian Sport Helpline from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET), 7 days a week:
  • Phone/SMS: 1-888-83SPORT (77678)
  • Email: info@abuse-free-sport.ca
• For more information about the Mental Health Support Program and other Support Services of the OSIC, please click HERE.”

Developed by viaSport in partnership with the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC)