ONTX – ONTARIO ONLINE & TEXT CRISIS SERVICES

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Welcome to Ontario’s Online and Text Crisis and Distress Service. This service is available from your computer, web-based device or mobile phone, from 2 PM – 2 AM daily.

Live Chat and Text is a safe, confidential, one-on-one conversation with a highly-trained empathic responder. Chat and Text services are for everyone, regardless of your age, issues or concerns. If you’re not comfortable using the phone or would prefer to communicate with someone online or by text about your feelings, concerns or problems, please access our ONTX service. The ONTX service allows you to take your time to process what you want to say, work through how you are feeling, and communicate in a way where others cannot overhear you.

Our responders are available to chat regarding all issues related to distress, crisis and suicidal thoughts, prevention and intervention. We are here to help! Please remember that high-quality support is a two-way street and there is a code of conduct that we and you will adhere to. You will see it in the terms and conditions section you can agree to before your chat starts.

Our service is live and active and we are continuing to strive to make improvements to our technology and software. A lot of background work has been devoted to making this service responsive and easy to use, but we know we aren’t perfect. If there are any technical or service hiccups, please report them to our service centres either by using the chat service, completing the post-chat survey or by calling the helplines: Distress Lines:  905-430-2522 or 1-800-452-0688.  Pride Line:1-855-87PRIDE (77433) 

How To Chat

Web Chat is available from your mobile phone from 2 PM to 2 AM daily and is accessed by clicking here, or by visiting our collaborative partner’s websites: Distress and Crisis Ontario or Distress Centre Niagara. Upon entering our service, you will be required to complete a pre-chat survey and agree to the terms and conditions of service. You will be placed into a queue and a responder will be available to you. We kindly ask that you complete the post-chat survey as well to ensure that we can meet quality assurance standards.

In addition to our online and text service, you can always call our 24-hour distress and crisis lines:   905-430-2522 or 1-800-452-0688. Pride Line: 1-855-87PRIDE (77433). We are here to listen to your feelings and concerns and are here to support you.

How To Text

Text is available from your mobile phone from 2 PM to 2 AM daily and is accessed by dialing 258258. Upon entering our service, you will be required to complete a pre-chat survey and agree to the terms and conditions of service. Once you complete the requirements, you will be placed into a queue and a responder will be available to you. We kindly ask that you complete the post-chat survey as well to ensure that we can meet quality assurance standards. In addition to our online and text service, you can always call our 24-hour distress and crisis lines, 905-430-2522 or 1-800-452-0688. We are here to listen to your feelings, concerns and are here to support you.

(Standard messaging and/or data usage rates may apply)