Program focus: Abuse, Anti-Human Trafficking, Behaviour Difficulty, Budgeting, Case Management, Child Welfare, Communication Skills, Developmental Disability, Employment, Housing, Immigration, Legal, LGBT, Life Skills, Male identified, Mental Health, Postnatal, Psychoeducation, Resume building, School, Sex Work, Sexual Relationships, Skill Development, Socializing, Substance Abuse, Trauma, Work more…
The Gender-Based Violence Program provides free support to individuals who are involved or at risk of being involved in human trafficking or those who have been involved in the sex trade by choice, circumstance, or coercion. The program is grounded in treating trauma, relational therapy and addressing human rights. Our team works from a strength based, sex-positive, harm reduction and trauma-informed approach. We believe in empowering survivors to have self-worth and to build healthy support systems.
Our team is composed of Trauma Therapists, Community Outreach Workers and Peer Navigators. The GBV program offers the following services centred around client-directed service planning:
- Trauma Therapy. Our therapists use a trauma-informed approach to help clients overcome psychological trauma. The GBV program recognizes that individuals who access our services often experience a combination of acute and developmental trauma. An acute trauma can be one where a person perceives a threat to one’s life, body, or emotional safety. Developmental trauma can occur because of adverse and chronic childhood experiences, such as neglect and abuse. As a result of trauma, people may have difficulty coping with their experiences, which can be very distressing and disruptive to daily functioning. Our therapists support individuals by working toward managing trauma symptoms, reducing shame and blame and building healthy relationships. Our therapists apply various therapeutic modalities in this process, including relational therapy and EMDR, as well as provide psychoeducation for participants and their family.
- Community Outreach & Education. The GBV team is available to provide outreach and education to youth 12-29 years old in various settings. Outreach and education take a preventative, non-judgemental approach to human trafficking/sex trafficking and incorporate topics such as healthy relationships, safety, consent and boundary setting. Concurrently, as part of our outreach, the GBV team can provide education on the topics of sex trafficking and trauma-informed care to service providers.
- Case Management & Service Navigation. Our Community Outreach Workers assist individuals with finding safe and affordable housing, accessing financial assistance, finding medical care, obtaining identification documents or legal consultation, school enrollment, job searching and can provide external referrals when needed. Assistance with life skill development, goal setting and budgeting support is also available
- Peer Support & Navigation. Our Peer Navigators actively advocate to reduce and end sexual exploitation. They act as support workers to encourage trauma recovery, build hope, confidence, and resilience within participants. The lived experience of the Peer Navigators lessens the isolation that many survivors feel, by creating a sense of belonging, connecting survivors with each other and to community-based resources. They can also offer assistance with appointments, court support, and aid with safety planning
- Support Group. Our Peer Navigators run an online support group with support from one of our Trauma Therapists. The group focuses on life skills and social/recreational activities.
- Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Counselling Program. This program offers short-term (8-12) immediate counselling sessions for children and youth who are victims of internet sexual exploitation and to their immediate family members. *ICE is available by referral only via the Ontario Provincial Police and BOOST. Learn more about ICE .
Any questions can be directed to the Gender-Based Violence Program at GBVinfo@stridestoronto.ca or 416-438-3697 ext. 13265.
On November 9, 2022, the Government of Canada endorsed the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence. Preventing and addressing GBV in Canada requires a coordinated national approach, with federal, provincial and territorial governments working in close partnership with survivors, Indigenous partners, direct service providers, experts, advocates, municipalities, the private sector and researchers.
The work of Strides Toronto’s Gender-Based Violence Program supports the vision of a Canada free from gender-based violence and supporting victims, survivors and their families regardless of where they live.
Eligibility details
- Youth aged 12 – 29 years
- Residing in Toronto
- Involved in or at risk of being involved in human trafficking and/or current or previous involvement in the sex trade by choice, circumstance, or coercion
- All gender identities welcomed
- Have an identified need or goal to address
Please note that we are not a crisis service. If you are in immediate danger, please contact 911 immediately. The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline (1-833-900-1010) is available 24 hours, 7 days a week for telephone support and referral information.
Get in touch with us on Instagram
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
Important Service Schedule Update
November 13 to November 19, 2024
We are adjusting our service schedule during the transition to our new location. Please see the updated service hours below:
- Wed. Nov 13 – In-person 12 PM – 5 PM 📍 1200 Markham Road
- Thu. Nov 14 – Virtual 12 PM – 5 PM
- Fri. Nov 15 – Virtual 12 PM – 5 PM
- Sat. Nov 16 – Virtual 10 PM – 4 PM
- Mon. Nov 18 – Closed
- Tue. Nov 19 – In-person 12 PM – 8 PM 📍 100 Consilium Place, Ground Floor, Suite 102
Regular schedule resumes on Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at our new space: 100 Consilium Place, Ground Floor, Suite 102. Thank you for your understanding and patience during this time of change!
Virtual Sessions
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 Sessions at Strides Toronto (as of March 1, 2024)
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: 1200 Markham Road, Suite 200, Scarborough
- Call to schedule sessions in Tagalog, Mandarin, Cantonese. Interpretation in other languages can be planned in advance.
- 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, Life Skills, Mental Health, Trauma
Priority Access for Child Welfare (PACW) Services helps children and youth that are at-risk of being placed in child welfare because of challenges at home; severe difficulties at school that could lead to loss of school placement; or has significant mental health and/or addiction issues and child welfare has become involved. Depending on the need of the family, therapists can meet with youth and their caregivers weekly or bi-weekly for 3 to 6 months.
The goals of the program are to reduce the severity of the difficulties in the home, improve relationships and reduce the risk for out-of-home placement. Services are offered in a range of settings (e.g. our office, the community, child welfare office and sometimes the home) using a treatment plan that is created collaboratively with the child/youth/family. Trained therapists provide children/youth/families with tools to help develop healthy behaviours, better relationships and enable youth to function positively and effectively in the home whilst addressing their mental health and/or addiction issues.
Referral details
A referral needs to be made to Strides Toronto by one of the Child Welfare agencies:
- Children’s Aid Society Toronto (CAST)
- Catholic Children’s Aid Society (CCAS)
- Native Child and Family Services
- Jewish Family and Child Services
The social worker from the Child Welfare agency will ask for consent from the family and send Strides Toronto the referral form asking the therapist to help support family. Our therapist will then contact the family directly, and we will all agree a time to meet.
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: Behaviour Difficulty, Life Skills, Mental Health, School, Trauma
The Day Treatment – Youth program provides an educational setting combined with therapy that helps young people to deal with a variety of problems and helps them to return to the school system or enter the work force. Youth eligible for Day Treatment are between 12 and 18 years old and are not able to succeed in a community school.
The student’s schedule includes three academic periods and one period of therapy, including Adolescent Life Skills and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). The focus on therapy allows youth to explore personal areas of strength and focus on development skills in the areas of: mood regulation, anger management, communication skills, relationship building, self-esteem/self-awareness, responsibility, stress management, substance use, and problem solving. Youth take part in planning their own program and future goals. Each classroom is staffed by a Strides Toronto Child and Youth Worker and a TDSB teacher. An Individual and Family Therapist is also assigned to the young person and their family to help navigate day treatment services and provide ongoing counselling
In general, youth that are referred to the program have at least one of the below diagnoses:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Bipolar Affective Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Psychosis
- Anxiety Disorders
- Major Depression
- Conduct Disorder
- Learning Disability
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Personality Disorder.
In addition, many of these youths have difficulties with peers, authority figures, family members and/or involvement with the youth criminal justice system. The average length of treatment is one year, with three to six months of follow-up to ensure a successful transition to mainstream or alternative program, as well as consultation with agency psychologist and consulting psychiatrist on a regular basis.
Strides Toronto’s Day Treatment Program operates in cooperation with the Toronto District School Board and is open to youth residing in Scarborough, from all Toronto School Boards.
We have five Day Treatment Programs:
- High school: Two programs at Cedarbrae Collegiate & one program at Winston Churchill Collegiate
- Elementary: Grades 7 and 8 at Charles Gordon Senior Public School and Donview Middle School
We also offer a Youth Justice Day Treatment Program. This is a high school program for young people up to 21 years old that are involved with the Youth Justice System. This is done in partnership with Springboard. We serve youth from around the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). To access this service, you must be referred by probation through Springboard.
Service Duration
On average, students remain in our program for a year. Some stay for one semester and others can stay for longer. The program is individualized, and length of stay is discussed / agreed upon with the client / family and treatment team.
Students entering the program need to have an expressed mental health concern and be open and committed to engaging in counselling.
Our program is not ideal for youth who present with intellectual disabilities given the intensive cognitive based therapy modality.
Referral details
- Youth or family member can call Help Ahead at 1-866-585-6486.
- You will then be required to complete a telephone intake.
- Referrals can be sent by schools / TDSB Centralized Intake, but clients and families still need to contact intake to provide consent to service.
Program focus: Behaviour Difficulty, Life Skills, Mental Health, School, Trauma
Day Treatment is an intensive therapeutic classroom setting for children, aged 6 – 12 years, experiencing social, emotional or behavioural issues and who have had difficulty being successful in their current school environment. These children and their caregivers may also be at risk for breakdown in their home and/or community.
The program is based on a multidisciplinary milieu treatment model that provides in-class care, family treatment and group therapy. Members of the milieu team include: Child Therapists who work in the classroom, providing evidence based group intervention with the children and individual support to the children as needed; Child and Family Therapists who work with the children providing individual treatment, family treatment and group therapy; Teachers who work in the classroom teaching the academic work; a Consulting Psychologist who conducts assessments, provides clinical consultation; and Supervisors-Day Treatment/Family Treatment Services who provide clinical supervision. Service duration is determined in collaboration between the caregiver and the multidisciplinary milieu team. One year of treatment is the recommended length of service.
There are six classrooms of approximately six students each in three separate schools. Two of the schools are in the Toronto District School Board and one is in the Toronto Catholic District School Board. The Strides Toronto Day Treatment program serves East Toronto (Scarborough) and East York region of Toronto.
Caregiver Readiness
Caregivers are in a state of readiness to make use of the intensive program including weekly participation. Group attendance is mandatory and occurs weekly between September and December. Caregivers participate in weekly family sessions for the remainder of the academic year.
Eligibility details
- Children aged 6 – 12 years
- Children are not managing in their current academic environment due to social, emotional and/or behavioural challenges.
- Children do not require 1:1 staffing support to manage.
Referral details
All referrals are made through Help Ahead, Central Point of Intake, 1-866-585-6486. Referrals can be made by the family or other professionals working with the family. Once the referral is received, a Help Ahead staff will reach out to the family to discuss options.
Locations
Highland Heights Junior Public School
35 Glendower Circuit
Scarborough, ON
Vradenburg Junior Public School
50 Vradenburg Drive
Scarborough, ON
Holy Name Catholic School
690 Carlaw Avenue
Toronto, ON
Strides Toronto
100 Consilium Place and 100 Consilium Place
Scarborough, ON
Program focus: Behaviour Difficulty, Communication Skills, Employment, Housing, Immigration, Income Support, LGBT, Mental Health, Primary Care Support Referrals, School, Skill Development, Socializing, Trauma more…
The Youth Outreach Worker Program is an initiative for at-risk youth ages 12 to 21 years old and their families in East Toronto. It is designed to help empower and provide them with individualized programming to meet their unique needs and circumstances. Youth Outreach Workers (YOWs) also work with other community resources to coordinate youth activities and services.
We also have specialized YOWs who have a focus on specific populations in Toronto, such as Syrian, Afghan and Tamil. Their goal is to make programs and services more accessible to youth and their families by overcoming language and cultural barriers. Outreach to specific populations help inform members of the community of the availability of services and to remove the stigma and fear associated with accessing services such as mental health.
We also offer clinical services as part of our Enhanced Youth Outreach Workers program (EYOW). In addition to providing support services, EYOWs can offer intensive intervention for example in the areas of mental health, addictions, trauma, relationship or family violence and / or human and sex trafficking etc.
Some of the many services we connect youth and families with include:
- Employment
- Housing
- Legal
- Education & alternative learning
- Volunteer hours
- Drop-in Programs
- Assistance in Applying for schools, loans & government assistance
- Help getting ID, SIN and Health Card
- Food Banks
- Counselling
- Newcomer youth programs
Program focus: Anti-Human Trafficking, Bilingual Services (French), Case Management, Child Welfare, Employment, Housing, Legal, LGBT, Mental Health, School, Sex Work, Sexual Relationships, Skill Development, Substance Abuse, Trauma, Work more…
Youth In Transition Workers aim to meet youth where it is more convenient for them, in the community, at coffee shops, libraries or at the office. Some resources and supports offered to youth may include:
- Housing and or educational supports
- Employment and services training
- Life skills (e.g., financial management and household management)
- Legal services and psychoeducation
- Health and mental health services
- Access to Trauma Therapy and Human Trafficking Peer Support Group
- Snacks and TTC fare for case management needs
- Access to Strides Food Mart available upon sign up
In addition to the above supports, Strides YIT workers provide targeted/focused assistance in the following areas:
- Mental Health and Addictions YIT
- Bilingual (French speaking) YIT connects youth with Francophone resources within their communities.
- Anti-Human Trafficking YIT provides individualized case management to youth at risk of sexual exploitation and Human Trafficking.
The length of work with youth varies based on their long-term and short-term goals. Once youth provide consent, referrals can be emailed directly to our team: YIT@Stridestoronto.ca.
Eligibility Details
Youth aged 16 – 24 years and is:
- in Extended Society Care or
- in a formal Customary Care arrangement immediately prior to the youth’s 18th birthday or
- eligible for support under Continued Care and Support for Youth (CCSY) or
- accessing Ready, Set, Go (RSG) funding
Get in touch with Strides Toronto Youth In Transition (YIT) workers on Instagram: