Jill Andrew MPP, Toronto–St. Paul's

A resident of Ontario must have a health card to show that he or she is entitled to health care services paid for by OHIP. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care pays for a wide range of services, however, it does not pay for services that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery.

Eligibility for OHIP

Ontario residents are eligible for provincially funded health coverage (OHIP). Generally, to be eligible for Ontario health coverage you must be:

• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident or among one of the newcomer to Canada groups who are eligible for OHIP as set out in Ontario’s Health Insurance Act ; and
• Physically present in Ontario for 153 days in any 12-month period; and
• Physically present in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after establishing residency in the province; and
• Make your primary place of residence in Ontario.

OHIP coverage normally becomes effective three months after the date you establish residency in Ontario. The ministry strongly encourages new and returning residents to purchase private health insurance in case you become ill during the OHIP waiting period.

Finding a Family Doctor – Health Care Connect

Health Care Connect helps Ontarians who are without a family health care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) to find one. People without a family health care provider are referred to a family doctor or a nurse practitioner who is accepting new patients in their community. To find out more information about Health Care Connect, click here.

Finding Long-term Care

Arranging care for yourself or a family member will involve a number of steps. This section of the website describes the process for arranging care, and the role you can play in the process. See the Arranging Care page for more details.

Your local Local Health Integration Network can help. LHIN are provincially-funded agencies that provide Long-Term Care information and referral services in your area. The information is provided free of charge. To locate the LHIN nearest you, use our LHIN locator.

To find a suitable long-term care home, this search engine will help you. If you require any assistance with finding a long-term care space, please contact my office.

• Tenant Survival Manual
• Landlord and Tenant Board
• West Toronto Community Legal Services

At the beginning of the application process, you will receive information about the Ontario Disability Support Program/Ontario Works. You will also be told which information and documents may be needed to complete the application process. You will need:

• Health Card Number
• Proof of Identity and Date of Birth
• Employment History/Information
• Income and Asset Statements
• Shelter Costs
• Status in Canada and Dependent Information

The application process is completed in person at your local ODSP/Ontario Works office. You will be required to complete and sign all necessary forms, including the application for assistance, and a participation agreement outlining the specific employment activities you may participate in. You will also need to provide any required information and documents.

• Housing Connections
• West Toronto Community Legal Services

HUMEWOOD HOUSE
40 Humewood Drive (Humewood and St. Clair Ave W)

Services for pregnant and parenting young women 
Pre and post-natal residential services, high school education program, infant daycare, transitional and supportive housing, parenting, nutrition and life-skills training, incidivudal and family counselling, food bank and donations

www.humewoodhouse.com
[email protected]

LGBT YOUTHLINE
Phone/virtual

Assistance for youth of all sexual and gender identities.  Anonymous peer support, referrals and resources over the phone or chat

www.youthline.ca
Talk: 416.962.9688
Text: 647.694.4275
[email protected]

LIGHTHOUSE
1008 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5R 3G7

Non-profit organization  Multiservice Christian centre
* advocacy * information and referral * settlement services and orientation for refugees and immigrants * life skills * assistance in accessing government and community services * income tax clinic * individual and family counselling * case management for assaulted women * parenting groups *

http://lighthousecentre.ca/
(416) 535-6262
[email protected]

MIDAYNTA COMMUNITY SERVICES 
1992 Yonge St, Ste 203, Toronto, ON M4S 1Z7 (Yonge & Eglinton)

Midaynta provides settlement services and other programs that advances education by providing courses, seminars, meetings, counseling and other support services for refugees, immigrants and youths in need. 

www.midaynta.com
416-544-1992
[email protected]

MOORELANDS COMMUNITY SERVICES
Merton St, Ste 501, Toronto, ON M4S 1B1

Moorelands is a children's charity that teaches kids from low-income, Toronto neighbourhoods 250 • After school programs * leadership programs * baby bundles program for new mothers * Christmas sharing program * Moorelands Wilderness Camp in Dorset

www.moorelands.ca
416-466-9987
[email protected]

SKILLS FOR CHANGE
791 St. Clair Ave W. (St. Clair W. and Arlington Ave.)

Youth Programming  Life skills training, employment, leadership skills

https://skillsforchange.org/youth/
416-658-3101


SKYLARK
255-40 Orchard View Blvd (Yonge & Eglinton)

Mental health promotion for young people  Individual and family counselling (mental health issues, family conflict, school-related stress, social isolation and peer-related stress, bullying, emotion regulation, trauma, relationship conflicts) http://

www.skylarkyouth.org/
[email protected]

ST. ALBAN’S BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
843 Palmerston Ave

Programming for children, youth and adults
Social and recreation programs, day camps, after school clubs, homework clubs, computer clubs, substance abuse, prevention leadership training, literacy

www.stalbansclub.ca
416-534-8461

ST. STEPHEN’S COMMUNITY
91 Bellevue Avenue

Programming for children, newcomers, seniors and youth
Youth services, employment & training centre, housing and homelessness services, conflict & resolution training, newcomer services, etc.

https://www.sschto.ca
416-925-2103 Ext. 1255
[email protected]

THE ANNIE JOHNSTON HEALTH STATION
2398 Yonge Street (Yonge & Eglinton)

Primary health care serving a catchment area of Highway 401 to Bloor Street and Bathurst Avenue to Bayview Avenue (must live or go to school in the catchment) Youth health clinic (including free and confidential sexual health services), individual and family counselling, leadership training programs and volunteer opportunities

http://www.ajhs.ca/primary-health-care-services/youth-health-clinic
416-486-8666
[email protected]

THE STOP COMMUNITY
1884 Davenport Road

The Stop is a community hub offering a broad range of programs that provide healthy food, foster social connections, build food skills, and promote civic engagement. Youth Program provides opportunities for young people 14+ to grow, cook, and share healthy food, and to understand sustainable food systems and the root causes of hunger and poverty from a social justice perspective. It prioritizes young people that are racialized, Indigenous, newcomers, 2SLGBTQ, etc. in the Davenport West and St. Clair/Christie communities.

thestop.org
(416) 652-7867

WYCHWOOD OPEN DOOR
St Matthew's United Church, 729 St Clair Ave W

Open to all, including homeless and socially isolated persons

• Drop-in
• breakfast, lunch
• clothing
• social and recreational programs
• life skills
• community and health information
• peer advocates provide help with social assistance, housing and legal issues

http://wychwood.mantis.biz
647-352-3513
[email protected]

*in-person counselling services may be limited due to COVID-19 restrictions*

Family Service Toronto 

(multiple locations)

Family Service Toronto Counselling Services offers individual, family and couple counselling. Counselling may be able to help you. Counselling helps people (from all walks of life) explore options, find solutions, develop coping strategies, identify strengths, locate information, provide resources and promote healing, resiliency and self-empowerment.

Our professional staff can work with you using a variety of tools and approaches including but not limited to cognitive behavior therapy, EMDR, Sensory Motor, Trauma informed therapy, narrative therapy, and Emotional Focussed Therapy.

https://familyservicetoronto.org/our-services/programs-and-services/counselling/

Contact

Phone: 416-595-9618

Fees: Sliding scale, determined based on income and/or need. Free on Wednesdays from 3:30pm to 7:30pm (subject to capacity). For more information, click here. 

Schlifer Clinic 

489 College Street, Suite 503, Toronto, ON M6G 1A4

The Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic is a specialized clinic for women experiencing violence, established in the memory of Barbra Schlifer – an idealistic young lawyer whose life was cut short by violence on the night of her call to the bar of Ontario on April 11, 1980.  In her memory, the Clinic assists approximately 4,000 women a year to build lives free from violence through counselling, legal representation and language interpretation. We amplify women’s voices, and cultivate their skills and resilience. Together with our donors and volunteers, we are active in changing the conditions that threaten women’s safety, dignity and equality.

https://www.schliferclinic.com/services/counselling/

Contact

Phone: 416-323-9149

Fees: Free for women-identifying survivors of violence

Catholic Family Services

1155 Yonge Street, Suite 200, Toronto, ON M4T 1W2

Catholic Family Services of Toronto offers individual, couple, family and group counselling. Their professional counselling staff help people resolve problems that challenge their lives. The helping process acknowledges the needs, strengths, values and goals of individuals and families. Their counsellors recognize and sensitively respond to differences in cultural, racial, gender, and religious backgrounds of clients.

https://www.cfstoronto.com/

Contact

Phone: 416-921-1163 / Email: [email protected]

Fees: Determined based on income and/or need. No one is denied service because of his/her inability to pay fees.

Woodgreen  

815 Danforth Avenue, Suite 100, Toronto, ON M4J 1L2

Their registered Social Workers provide counselling, psychotherapy and support services to individuals 16 years of age and older who are experiencing problems with mental health issues, substance use, and other difficulties in their lives. Through their Social Work and Full Circle program, registered Social Workers also work with older adults and seniors, their families and caregivers to develop the skills and abilities to function independently, through counselling and case management. Social Workers also offer support groups for caregivers or bereaved persons.

https://www.woodgreen.org/services/programs/counselling-and-social-work/

Contact

Phone: 416-572-3575 / Email: [email protected]

Fees: Please contact intake line to discuss

Full Circle Art Therapy

658 Danforth Avenue, Suite 204, Toronto, ON M4J 5B9

Art Therapy is a mental health profession, which helps individuals externalize and organize their thoughts and feelings that may otherwise be difficult to articulate. The guided creative process as well as the end product can be used to enhance a person’s emotional, spiritual, social, cognitive, and physical well-being.

https://www.fullcircleatc.com/

Contact

Phone: 647-245-3344 / Email: [email protected]

Fees: $100-$145, depending on therapist. Sliding scales are offered, determined based on income and/or need. 

YWCA Toronto: Healing Through the Arts

YWCA Toronto’s Breakthrough program offers free support groups to women who have been abused or harmed by other kinds of violence. They currently offer the following groups; Imagining New Directions for women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse or incest; Healing Through Expressive Arts for women who have experienced violence or abuse; Stepping into Connection. an open group for women who may be new to group support and who have experienced violence or abuse; and Creating Safety and Possibilities for women dealing with the effects of intimate partner abuse. 

https://www.ywcatoronto.org/ourprograms/supportservices/healingthroughthearts

Contact

Phone: 416-487-7151 (ext. 267)

Fees: Free for women-indetifying survivors of violence

Margaret's

221 Broadview Avenue Toronto, ON, M4M 2G3

Margaret's works with members of the community experiencing a psychiatric, emotional, psychosocial or situational crisis requiring immediate short-term intervention. They provide crisis intervention services that prevent escalation and the need for unnecessary hospitalizations. Margaret’s is an entry point that can assist at-risk individuals through proper assessments and referrals, helping people secure the appropriate community resources for their individual needs. Additionally, Margaret’s Mental Health and Justice Program offers intensive individual assistance and advocacy for those experiencing mental health issues and who are accused of committing low-risk offences.

https://www.margarets.ca/

Contact

Phone: 416-463-1481

Fees: Contact Margaret's to discuss and/or visit website for eligibility criteria 

Gestalt  

417 Parliament Street, Toronto, ON M5A 3A1 

Gestalt therapy is an approach to personal transformation that invites a fuller presence and awareness of the here and now, thus allowing you the possibility of more excitement, energy and courage to live your life directly. People come to Gestalt therapy seeking support in times of challenge and transition, a desire to explore unfinished business, find creative solutions in relationships, and to decrease levels of fear and anxiety. Gestalt's student therapists in the clinic receive a minimum of 3 ½ years of training, and some have many more years of diverse personal and professional experience. They will work with you in the present moment in a warm, honest and direct manner. All of the therapists have a supervisor and all of their client cases are reviewed confidentially. Neither the Student Clinic nor the Gestalt Institute of Toronto has access to your files or in any way manages or supervises the therapist’s practice.

https://gestalt.on.ca/low-cost-therapy-clinic/

Contact

Phone: 416-964-9464 / Email: [email protected]

Fees: $40.00/session

Affordable Therapy Network 

(online service)

Affordable Therapy Network provides an online database of therapists across Canada, including Toronto & Ontario, that provide low-cost or sliding scale rates. The site allows you to research individual therapists, filtered based on therapy approach or issues, and reach out to individual therapists for consultations, in order to meet your unique mental health concerns and needs. 

https://affordabletherapynetwork.com/

Contact

Varied per therapist

Fees: Low-cost, $50-$65/session. Sliding scale, $70-$120/session; determined by individual therapists based on income and/or need.