Canada Is Getting A New Mental Health Crisis Hotline in 2023 & Here's How It Will Work

An easy-to-remember mental health crisis hotline is coming to Canada next year.

Announced by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on August 31, the new helpline will be under the number 988 and is expected to be nationwide by November 30, 2023.

The number will be a resource that Canadians can call 24/7, free of charge, no matter where they are in the nation. It will even have an option to text for people who are unable to call for safety or accessibility reasons but still need to access the resource.

When someone calls or texts the 988 number, they will be directed to mental health crisis help and suicide prevention services.

This new initiative aims to break down the barriers to mental health resources in the country.

However, there are still a few things that need to happen before the service can be rolled out nationwide.

One of the things that the CRTC needs to first implement across the country is 10-digit dialling. Since places near Yellowknife, Northern Ontario and Newfoundland & Labrador still have 7-digit dialling, the CRTC is asking service providers to make changes to their networks.

These providers will have six months to make changes so that their users will be able to dial or text the new 988 number.

While the implementation of the new number is still over a year away, there are call-in resources available in the meantime.

For anyone experiencing mental health distress right now, you can call 1-833-456-4566 toll-free. Quebec residents can also call 1-866-277-3553.

If you'd rather get text assistance, you can do so by texting 741741 if you're an adult or 686868 for youth. People in Quebec can text 1-855-957-5353.

Additionally, you can also text Talk Suicide Canada's service at 45645 between 4 p.m. and midnight EST.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or mental health concerns, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional. You can also contact the Crisis Services Canada helpline, which is available 24 hours a day, or consult these additional resources. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.