| Contact | bereavedfamilies.net |
| Information | Province-wide organization dedicated to bereavement support through peer support and mutual aid. Services include support groups for bereaved parents, children who have lost a parent/sibling/caregiver, people whose partners have died, and others in need of grief support. Nine affiliates located throughout Ontario provide local support. Programming available in both official languages through Ottawa affiliate, with translation services for other languages. |
| Service area | Ontario |
| Resource types | In-person service, information |
| Support types | Bereavement services, grief support |
| Target demographics | General population, youth and families |
| Serves children (0–12) | Yes |
| Serves youth (13–17) | Yes |
| Serves adults (18+) | Yes |
| Serves families | Yes |
| Language spoken | English 🍁 |
About this directory of supports
Navigating mental health support can be challenging during emergency situations, such as Canada's ongoing wildfires. This comprehensive guide aims to simplify that journey by providing a curated list of evidence-informed and free mental health and well-being resources available across Canada to all communities.
Whether you or your family members are in need of immediate assistance through crisis support, seeking ongoing wellness supports, requiring tools to help navigate further resources, or looking for counselling services, this resource list is designed to help you find the right support to maintain and enhance your mental well-being before, during, and after an emergency.
Although the majority of these resources are tailored to meet the needs of the broader community in Canada (adults, youth, children, and families), a smaller subset of these resources are tailored to specific occupational groups — including public safety personnel (PSP), health care providers (HCP), military members and Veterans — as well as to equity-deserving groups like Indigenous populations, BIPOC communities, and LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals.
Please select the resource that is best tailored to your own needs.
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Bereaved Families of Ontario (BFO)
Province-wide organization dedicated to bereavement support through peer support and mutual aid
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Distress Centres of Greater Toronto
Comprehensive support program for individuals who have lost someone to suicide or homicide
Contact (416) 408-4357 | dcogt.com/survivors-of-suicide-and-homicide-loss Information Professionally trained grief facilitators, many with lived experience of suicide or homicide losses, provide care in a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free environment. Program addresses short and long-term impacts of traumatic loss including social and mental health impacts. Service area Ontario: Greater Toronto Area Resource types Online service, in-person service, telephone Support types Grief support, bereavement services Target demographics General population, youth and families Serves children (0–12) Yes Serves youth (13–17) Yes Serves adults (18+) Yes Serves families Yes Language spoken English 🍁 -
Family Navigation Project
FNP helps youth and families find their way through the mental health and addictions system
Contact 1 (800) 380-9367 | familynavigation@sunnybrook.ca | sunnybrook.ca/content?page=family-navigation-project Information FNP helps youth and families find their way through the mental health and addictions system. While FNP does not provide treatment or crisis response, it does connect youth and families to a "family navigator" who helps them figure out where to go, who to talk to, and what services or resources might be the best fit. Service area Ontario Resource type Assessment and referral Support types Wellness support, addiction support Target demographics General population, youth and families Serves children (0–12) Yes Serves youth (13–17) Yes Serves adults (18+) Yes Serves families Yes Language spoken English 🍁 -
KidsGrief
A free online resource that helps parents support their children when someone in their life is dying or has died
Contact kidsgrief.ca Information KidsGrief.ca is a free online resource that helps parents support their children when someone in their life is dying or has died. It equips parents with the words and confidence needed to help children grieve life’s losses in healthy ways. Service area National Resource types Online service, information Support types Grief support, bereavement services Target demographics General population, youth and families Serves children (0–12) Yes Serves youth (13–17) Yes Serves adults (18+) — Serves families Yes Languages spoken English 🍁, French ⚜️, Easy read -
The Lighthouse for Grieving Children
Peer support groups for children, youth and young adults experiencing grief after the death of someone significant in their lives
Contact lighthousegriefsupport.org/how-we-can-help/support-groups Information Peer support groups for children, youth and young adults (ages 3–24) experiencing grief after the death of someone significant in their lives. Groups are ongoing and open-ended, allowing families to stay with The Lighthouse community for as long as they need to actively explore grief in their own time. The program recognizes everyone grieves differently and provides flexible, developmentally appropriate support. Service area Ontario: Halton Resource types In-person service, information Support types Bereavement services, grief support Target demographics General population, youth and families Serves children (0–12) Yes Serves youth (13–17) Yes Serves adults (18+) Yes Serves families Yes Language spoken English 🍁 -
YouthGrief
Developed by grieving youth, for grieving youth. YouthGrief shares wisdom, experiences, and advice from young people know what it’s like to grieve when someone you care about has died
Contact youthgrief.ca Information YouthGrief has been developed by grieving youth, for grieving youth. It shares wisdom, experiences, and advice from more than 30 young people who’ve been there, and know what it’s like to grieve when someone you care about has died. The program is suitable for a young person living with the death of a person important to them, a friend of someone who is grieving, and parents, educators, and other interested adults. Service area National Resource types Online service, resource hub, information Support types Bereavement services, grief support Target demographics General population, youth and families Serves children (0–12) — Serves youth (13–17) Yes Serves adults (18+) — Serves families — Languages spoken English 🍁, French ⚜️