ONTX

Welcome to Ontario’s Online and Text Crisis and Distress 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 with privacy in a way that is comfortable for you or where others cannot overhear you. 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.

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.

Our Responders Are Here To Help

Our responders are available to chat and text 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.

It Is Confidential

Our service is confidential and the name you offer can be an alias.

You will notice that we are collecting some data regarding location, how you are feeling and whether we are offering you the help you need. Why are we doing this? To improve the quality of the service! The information you provide is not specific and it helps us if you provide the information in both the pre and post surveys.

How To Text

Text is available from your mobile phone from 2pm to 2am daily and is accessed by dialing 741741.

You will need to complete a pre-chat survey and agree to terms and conditions of service and a responder will be available to you. Please remember to complete the post-text survey as well.

In addition to our online and text service, you can always call our 24-hour distress and crisis lines. Just call 416-408-HELP (4357). We are here to listen to your feelings and concerns and support you.

How To Chat

Chat is available on your computer, or mobile device from 2 pm to 2 am daily and is accessed by clicking the icon on the left column.

Complete the pre-chat survey, agree to the terms and conditions and a responder will be available to chat. Please remember to complete the post-chat survey as well.

Get started! Click below

This Is A Soft-Launch!

What is a soft-launch? It means that the service is live and active but we are continuing to test it to discover if there are any technical, software or service bugs that we haven’t yet caught. We want to help you in this new and innovative manner, but this is where you can help us improve.

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 helpline telephone #’s.