Many parents wish children came with instructions. You’re not alone. We have a program for you!
The Circle of Security Program can help you strengthen your parent-child relationship and gain confidence to better understand and support your child, especially during times of upset or distress.
This FREE virtual group will enhance your ability to support your child to achieve increased calmness, cooperation, and effective communication. You will gain knowledge and a deeper understanding of how behaviour and connection can impact your relationship with your child. As a caregiver, you will understand the importance of building a secure relationship with your child and help them to know that they can turn to you for support when confronted with difficulties or challenges.
The Circle of Security Parenting program is intended to support parents:
- To better understand their child especially during times of upset and distress
- To enhance parent’s ability to support their child to achieve increased calmness, cooperation, and effective communication
- To enjoy increased confidence, happiness, and delight in interactions with your child
- To gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the interaction between behavior, connection, and relationships with their child
If you think that this group is what you have been looking for, fill out the form on this page or call us at 416-438-3697 x19055.
Contact Us
Attendance for every session is imperative to gain the full benefits from the program as each week builds on the topics presented from the previous week. If a group member misses 2 or more sessions, they maybe be asked to withdraw from the group and register for the next group session.
Program focus: Mental Health
What is One Stop Talk/Parlons maintenant?
One Stop Talk/Parlons maintenant (OST/PM) offers free virtual counselling services and seamless entry into child and youth mental health services across Ontario. The program serves as a single access point to mental health services for children and youth aged 0-17, connecting them with registered and experienced therapists across the province. Our agency’s therapists and an integrated network of province-wide infant, child, and youth mental health agencies support this program.
Service Details
- Counselling by registered therapists spanning Ontario, including our agency’s therapists
- Immediate access to free therapy; no prior booking or appointment required
- Focuses on addressing one issue at a time and provides the freedom to access the service as many times as needed
- OST/PM is not anonymous – the program requires children and youth to provide information about themselves, including their name, date of birth, and postal code, to receive service
- Start with a conversation, leave with a plan. No matter why you connect, children and youth co-create a personalized plan with their therapist, which is shared with them
- Navigation services are available if additional assistance beyond the session is needed. OST/PM directly refers clients to additional services as close to them as possible in the child and youth mental health sector
- OST/PM has dedicated Francophone therapists and interpretation services to over 200+ languages, including ASL
Who can contact One Stop Talk/Parlons maintenant?
- Children and youth (aged 0-17 years) located in Ontario
- Parents and caregivers located in Ontario are recommended to access the service with their child(ren)
When is the service available?
- Monday to Friday, 12 PM to 8 PM EST
- Saturday 12 PM to 4 PM EST
Entry to the service closes 45 minutes before posted closure time to allow all clients to be served by end of service
What can we help with?
No issue is too big or small. If it’s important to you, it’s important to us.
To connect with a therapist, visit onestoptalk.ca or call us at 1 855 416 8255.
Program focus: Abuse, Behaviour Difficulty, LGBT, Mental Health, School, Sex Work, Skill Development, Trauma more…
Help Ahead: Access for Infants, Children, Youth & Families
Help Ahead is a free referral phone service to help connect infants, children, youth up to 18 years old and their families to mental health and addiction services in their community. Our goal is to help those in need to find and get mental health help as efficiently and quickly as possible.
Anyone under the age of 18 experiencing a mental health issue or anyone who wants to support someone under the age of 18 and wants access to mental health services can call.
If you are a young person, you might call if you:
- Feel anxious or worried
- Feel depressed, sad or angry
- Are being bullied
- Don’t feel yourself…
- Want more information about mental health and addiction services in your community.
If you are a parent/caregiver of an infant or child, you might call if:
- Your infant/child is crying inconsolably; having tantrums; irregular sleep or eating patterns;
- You are worried about your infant/child’s development; feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by parenting; or asking, “is this just a phase?”
- You want more information about mental health and addiction services in your community.
Service providers, doctors, teachers, school social workers, child protection services and any other support service can call Help Ahead too for more information, but we will need the expressed consent of the person or parent to refer to a service.
Program focus: Abuse, Behaviour Difficulty, LGBT, Mental Health, Nutrition, School, Sex Work, Trauma more…
The What’s Up Walk-In® Clinic is Toronto’s only free, six day a week mental health counselling walk-in service for children, youth, young adults, and families. The clinic helps with issues such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal ideation, sexual identity matters, bullying, behavioural concerns, addictions, and anything else that might be on one’s mind. All the information you provide is confidential.
Therapists offer single sessions up to an hour long. We don’t judge. We will support you in your concerns and work collaboratively with you. The focus is on abilities, resources, and skills that you have, or you want to develop. Together we will target a priority concern and develop a plan with you that you feel comfortable with. If you feel you need more help, you can come back to the What’s Up Walk-In. All our therapists are clinically trained.
The clinic is barrier free, and accessible. No health card or appointment is necessary, and it’s completely free! The What’s Up Walk-In network is a collection of 6 agencies operating at 8 sites across the City of Toronto.
Hours of service
Virtual
Friday, 2 PM – 8 PM Last registration: 6:30 PM
To be connected to a counsellor for a telephone or video session, call us at 416-438-3697 press 1 and then enter ext. 12230 for reception.
In-person [Summer Family Hours]
Thursday, 12 PM – 6 PM Last registration: 4:30 PM
Location: 1940 Eglinton Ave East, Suite 300, Scarborough (Free parking available)
In-person
Monday – Thursday, 12 PM – 8 PM Last registration: 6:30 PM
Friday, 12 PM – 5 PM Last registration: 3:30 PM
Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM Last registration: 2:30 PM
Location: 100 Consilium Place, Suite 102 (Ground Floor), Scarborough
- Service is offered in English, French and 238 other languages, including American Sign Language through instantaneous interpretation.
- No appointment is necessary; first come, first served.
- Registration closed 1h 30 mins prior to the end of in-person service hours.
- Capacity at times reached before last registration.
- Services closed on statutory holidays.
- Face masks are available for in-person sessions.
Supported by RBC:
In partnership with:
Program focus: ADHD, Autism, Behaviour Difficulty, Child Development, Communication Skills, Developmental Disability, LGBT, Mental Health, Parenting, School, Skill Development, Socializing, Trauma more…
Children, youth up to age 18, their mental health professional and families can access psychiatric consultation via virtual platform. Youth and family must be connected to a service provider to support the referral process.
This service requires a referral by a mental health professional who has worked with the child/youth and family and is knowledgeable of their situation. The mental health professional will be involved in the entire process following the psychiatric consultation and will follow up with the client on any recommendations.
All referral forms must be faxed to 647-689-2788. If you have any questions, please email the Urban Tele-Mental Health Service Coordinator at urbantelementalhealth@stridestoronto.ca or call us at 416-438-3697 ext. 14292.
Program focus: Behaviour Difficulty, Child Welfare, Communication Skills, Mental Health, Socializing
Our Intensive Child and Family Service is offered to children and their caregivers who are experiencing social, emotional, and/or behavioural challenges that interfere with their daily lives and may lead to family breakdown in either their home, school and/or community. Often families eligible for this service are living with complex needs that may be impacting multiple domains of their lives.
Services are provided in-home, in-community, in-office or other settings which would be most helpful to supporting change. These services are provided by a Child and Family Therapist who will meet as frequently as required to help make a difference, offering service in a flexible manner that may include individual treatment, family and/or group therapy.
Referral details
Contact Strides Toronto Intake at 416-438-3697 ext. 19055 to initiate a referral.
Intake will help determine if Intensive Services is the most appropriate service for you or if there is an alternate service that may better meet your needs.
Program focus: Abuse, Behaviour Difficulty, Child Welfare, Mental Health, Trauma
The Infant Mental Health program offers a variety of family-focused, multidisciplinary mental health assessment and treatment services that are inclusive and accessible to all families living in Scarborough. Services are provided at Strides Toronto, in the home, or in the community at a time convenient for the family.
The program strives to strengthen parent child interactions by focusing on building positive family relationships to improve healthy social and emotional development of infants and children (birth to 3 years old) in partnership with their families and communities.
Parents with young children under the age of 3 years who are concerned about their children’s behaviour (separation anxiety, sleep difficulties, eating concerns, excessive crying, or challenging behaviour) are eligible for this service.
Program focus: Mental Health
Strides Toronto has a long history of providing mental health consultation and support services to elementary schools in Scarborough and east Toronto.
Partners for Success is a collaborative program where we work with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) to offer mental health services that meet specific needs identified by local schools. The program goal is to support children in achieving success in their school and community. This is accomplished through consultation to school staff and through class-wide and school-wide presentations and activities with children.
Program focus: Child Development, Mental Health, Parenting, Skill Development
Babies’ Best Start works in partnership with Toronto Public Health to provide service to families under the provincially funded program Healthy Babies Healthy Children. In this partnership a Public Health Nurse from the City of Toronto and a Family Home Visitor from Strides Toronto work as a team to provide in-home support to families in the prenatal stage and to families with young children from birth to three years of age. Children must be referred before the age of three.
The parent receiving this service determines their own goals which may include areas such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, healthy attachment, healthy eating, safety, child development, positive parenting, parent health and well-being and community resources. The home visitors represent a variety of cultural backgrounds and speak many different languages.
Referral Details
Referrals can be made by parents or through a midwife, family doctor, nurse or other service provider to Healthy Babies Health Children through the Toronto Public Health Department. Children must be referred before the age of three.
Eligibility Details
Clients must meet the following criteria:
- Living in Toronto
- Pregnant or parenting a child who is 0 to 3 years old
- Be the legal guardian of the child(ren)
- Actively parenting the child(ren) in the family’s place of residence
- Available for home visits during our hours of operation.
The client must also meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Healthcare professional has concerns about the health and well-being of the client, family and/or child.
- Parent has concerns or questions about the child’s health and development, parenting, parent-child relationship.
- Newcomer to Canada, here less than three years and having their first baby in Canada.
- Client has a limited informal and/or formal support system.
- Client has a history of or is experiencing physical and/or mental health illness that is impacting capacity to parent or cope with pregnancy.
- Client facing challenging life situations or life stressors such as homeless, domestic violence, child protection concerns, no OHIP.
The Healthy Babies Healthy Children program is funded by the government of Ontario and delivered by your local public health unit.
Program focus: Autism, Child Development, Communication Skills, Developmental Disability, Speech and Language
One in ten children need extra help developing speech and language skills. Without help, it may be harder for these children to listen, talk, read, and play with others. Strides Preschool Speech and Language Program (PSL) supports children living in the east area of Toronto achieve their optimal communication development.
Strides PSL offers the following services to children from birth until they are eligible to start full-day kindergarten: assessment, consultation to parents, community-based children’s programs, and other professionals, parent training and information sessions; group and individual speech and language intervention, and referral to a wide range of child and family services in the community.
Service duration
The type and duration of service provided are determined based on the child’s level of communication functioning and caregivers’ preferences for service plan options. Services may range from consultation every few months to participation in weekly therapy sessions that typically are offered once a week for approximately six weeks.
For more information about the program, click here.
Satellite Locations
BGC East Scarborough
100 Galloway Road
Scarborough, ON M1E 1W7
Malvern Family Resource Centre
90 Littles Road
Scarborough, ON M1B 5E2
Rosalie Hall
3020 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough ON M1P 2T7
Referral Details
Parents/caregivers, childcare providers, and/or other professionals involved in child’s care can refer the child to the program with parent/caregiver consent.
Referrals can be made online or by calling 1-833-575-5437.
The Preschool Speech and Language Program at Strides Toronto is part of a community partnership led by Surrey Place Centre, in collaboration with The Hanen Centre, Lumenus Community Services, Macaulay Child Development Centre and George Hull Family and Child Centre.
