Coping Strategies for COVID-19

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On Wednesday, April 29, 2020 TDPLA hosted our second Virtual Town Hall on the topic of Coping Strategies for COVID-19.  Our guests, all Toronto-Danforth residents, were:

Martha McGroarty, Stella’s Place Family Advisory Council member and Kids Help Phone volunteer

Li Koo, OLP Regional VP and Educator

Jamie Lemen, Registered Social Worker, working in community mental health and addictions

Julia Chao, Woodgreen Director of Mental Health, Addiction and Developmental Services

We had a great turn out and discussion about the resources available in the east end, general management of mental health during this anxious time and how to reach out when the challenges are too great.

Screen Shot 2020-04-30 at 8.55.55 AMYou can listen to the Town Hall:

The speakers provided a list of resources that focus on the East End but in some cases are city-wide.

Free Counselling Services

  1. WoodGreen Community Services
    1. free over-the-phone counselling on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:15 pm – 6:45 pm
    2. https://www.woodgreen.org/services/programs/walk-in-counselling/
  1. What’s Up Walk-in
    1. free over-the-phone counselling for children, youth and families (up to age 24)
    2. M-F, 9 am to 7 pm
    3. https://www.whatsupwalkin.ca/
  1. Stella’s Place
    1. Free over the phone counselling + video counselling and Bean Bag Chat App for youth (up to age 29)
    2. https://stellasplace.ca/community-updates/
  1. Mental Health Network
    1. Free virtual counselling sessions for frontline workers impacted by COVID-19
    2. https://covid19therapists.com/
  1. Good2Talk
    1. Free phone counselling for post-secondary students
    2. https://good2talk.ca/ontario/
  1. Family Service Toronto
    1. Free over-the-phone counselling, daily 11:30 am to 6:30 pm
    2. https://familyservicetoronto.org/our-services/programs-and-services/walk-in-clinic/
  1. Homewood Health
    1. Free phone counselling, in partnership with Wellness Together Canada
    2. https://homewoodhealth.com/corporate/covid-19-resources

Low-Cost Counselling Services

  1. Affordable Therapy Network: https://www.affordabletherapytoronto.com/online-therapists.html
  2. Ink Blot therapy: https://inkblottherapy.com/
  3. Open Path Psychotherapy Collective: https://openpathcollective.org/
  4. Hard Feelings: https://www.hardfeelings.org/
  5. Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy: https://tirp-lowcost-therapy.ca/

Fee-for-Service Counselling

  1. The Healing Collective
    1. Located at Woodbine and Danforth, all counsellors are offering virtual sessions, some are offering sliding-scale
    2. healingcollective.ca
  1. East End Therapy
    1. Located at Broadview and Danforth, all counsellors are offering virtual sessions
    2. https://eastendtherapy.ca/
  1. Wellbe Family Wellness
    1. Located at Broadview and Gerrard, all counsellors are offering virtual sessions
    2. Offers psychotherapy services, as well as a host of other wellness activities
    3. https://www.hellowellbe.com/what-we-do/#counselling
  1. Pape Therapy Centre
    1. Located at Pape and Danforth, all counsellors are offering virtual sessions
    2. https://papetherapy.ca/
  1. Soulspring
    1. Located at Broadview and Danforth, offering virtual sessions
    2. https://www.soulspring.ca/
  1. Better Help
    1. Connects you to an online therapist – text options available as well
    2. https://www.betterhelp.com/
  1. Umbrella Mental Health Network
    1. Queer and trans-identified therapist network
    2. https://www.umhn.ca/
  1. Greenspace
    1. Connects you to a therapist offering sessions online
    2. https://www.greenspacehealth.ca/patients/

Other useful Mental Health Resources

  1. Bounce Back
    1. Free online guided self-help service to help you build skills to manage your mental health
    2. https://bouncebackontario.ca/
  1. Progress Place Warm Line
    1. Free peer support line offering phone and text
    2. http://www.warmline.ca/
  2. The 519: https://www.the519.org/covid19resources
  3. Wellness Together Canada
    1. Free federally-funded Mental Health & Addictions program including resources, wellness line, self assessment tools, peer to peer support, educational resources
    2. https://ca.portal.gs/
  1. Check out your local yoga studios, meditation centres, wellness hubs – many of them are offering free online classes at this time.

Apps

  1. Calm
  2. Headspace
  3. Insight Timer
  4. Daylio
  5. Happify
  6. Mindshift
  7. MoodPath
  8. Healthy Minds – Geared towards students

Crisis Lines

  1. Crisis Text Line – free and available 24/7
    1. Canadians text “686868”
    2. Text HOME to “741741” to connect with a (COVID-19) Crisis Counselor
  1. Toronto Distress Centre – free and available 24/7
    1. GTA: 416-408-4357 (HELP)
  1. Kids Help Phone – free text, phone, chat, 24/7, available in English and French
    1. 1-800-668-6868
    2. https://kidshelpphone.ca/
  1. Assaulted Womens Helpline – free and available 24/7
    1. 1-866-862-0511
    2. #SAFE (#7233) on your Bell, Rogers, Fido or Telus Mobile
  1. Toronto Seniors Helpline – free, M-F 9 am – 8 pm; Weekends 9 am – 6 pm
    1. 416-217-2077
  1. Gerstein Centre – free, available 24/7
    1. 416-929-5200
  1. Hope for Wellness Helpline – free, available 24/7
    1. 1 (855) 242-3310
    2. Available to indigenous people
  1. Trans Lifeline – free, available 24/7
    1. 1-877-330-6366
    2. Available to queer and trans people
  1. LGBTQ2+ Youth Line – free text, phone, chat available 24/7
    1. 800.268.9688
    2. youthline.ca
    3. Available to LGBTQ2+ youth

More Information on select resources:

Stella’s Place:

Programs: https://stellasplace.ca/programs/

Resources information if in need of help now: https://stellasplace.ca/help/

Online peer support, counselling, support tools and a path to face-to-face support:

Monday – Thurs 12-9 pm and Fri and Sundays, 4-9 pm;   http://beanbagchat.ca/
Crisis Text Line, powered by Kids Help Phone:

For young people, text CONNECT or WELLNESS to 686868

For adults, text WELLNESS to 741741

To connect with a professional counselor by phone: 1-800-668-6868

Looking for resources, articles and information, or need to find resources around you: https://kidshelpphone.ca/

For volunteer opportunities:  https://kidshelpphone.ca/get-involved/participate/volunteer

Sheena’s Place – https://sheenasplace.org

Support for those 17+ with eating disorders.  They are providing online video support groups during the pandemic.

Other:

Reliable resource for information:  https://www.canada.ca/en.html

Woodgreen Community Services

*WALK-IN COUNSELLING has moved to the phone.

Tuesdays and Wednesday beginning at 4:00pm

HOW
Telephone 416-645-6000 ext. 1990
(Intake from 4:15pm to 6:30pm to complete intake and provide consent. If the line is busy please leave a voicemail with a call back number)

Individuals will be contacted via telephone by a counsellor
Sessions are one hour
Wait times vary
Virtual “walk-in” is first come, first serve

*TORONTO SENIORS HELPLINE
Telephone 461-217-2077

Supportive counselling over the telephone, information and referral, connecting to variety of services in the community such as Meals on Wheels, caregiver supports and resources, health assessment, link to primary care and crisis outreach services.

Virtual Friendly Visiting for Seniors

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=erv3o1K-ekWp4LEgYpk-wv7uIW47JqxGn3XZMo_pUmdURVpKM0VPMFVBSkxQVVFaMlc0NU5OQVYzNy4u

Other:

Link to Angus Reid survey on Canadian mental health during COVID-19:  http://angusreid.org/covid19-mental-health/

Article on the feeling of grief during COVID-19 referred to in the Town Hall:  https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmvNCdpHUYM

Alcoholics Anonymous – find a Toronto-based online groups at https://www.aatoronto.org

Al-Anon Family Meetings have virtual meetings:  https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/electronic-meetings/

 

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