How to Access Mental Health Support

viaSport & the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC)

If It’s an Emergency

• Call the Crisis Services Canada 24-hour hotline: 1-833-456-4566 / Text 45645
  • (In Quebec: 1-866-277-3553
• OR call 9-1-1

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.”