Mental Health Support for Families, Caregivers in Canada
[Updated for Summer 2025] Help is available to Canadian families and caregivers who are trying to help a youth navigate mental health issues. Often, the same therapist who’s working with an adolescent or older child can recommend resources for other family members. But there are also other sources of information, and those are the focus of this article.
Below is Menderist’s list of well-known Canadian mental health organizations that provide support to parents and caregivers of adolescents, teens, or young adults struggling with mental health. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals frequently recommend these organizations.
Note: American resources – including podcasts, videos, articles – may also help families and caregivers in Canada. Also: a separate article addresses 12 Step and alternative programs.
Canadian Psychological Association
The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) is a professional organization that describes its mission as advancing ” research, knowledge and the application of psychology in the service of society through advocacy, support and collaboration.”
While the CPA doesn’t host parent and other family support groups, the organization’s website contains a range of helpful information:
Fact sheets – The association offers fact sheets on a variety of issues, and some list sources of more information and support. Some of the topics include:
- strategies for reducing the negative effects of screen use
- narcissism, including tips on supporting someone with a narcissistic personality disorder.
- caregiver stress
- anxiety related to food allergy in children
Psychologist lookup – Information and tips about finding a psychologist are available on the CPA website.
Canadian Psychiatric Association
The CPA is a professional organization for psychiatrists: as such, the Association’s website doesn’t list many resources for families/caregivers. However, the CPA site outlines how to find a psychiatrist in Canada.
Canadian Mental Health Association
The CMHA is a community mental health organization that’s more than 100 years old and has more than 5,000 staff and 11,000 volunteers.
There are over 300 CMHA locations across Canada, and many offer resources and courses for families and caregivers: you can search for your area at the association’s website.
Some regions, such as the Calgary office, offer a separate section on their website about Individual & Family Support, where they list available resources such as drop-in meetings and getting counselling.
Examples of CMHA Information:
Eating Disorders
For families or caregivers helping a youth dealing with an eating disorder, the Ontario CMHA chapter provides a guide to understanding and finding help with eating disorders, which provides many sources of more help (including some U.S. resources).
Free Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The CMHA offers a free Cognitive Behavioural Therapy program, called BounceBack, that is a skill-building program “designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, stress or worry.” This free program is accessible to youths 15 to 18, and to adults (including parents and caregivers).
New Resources for Men
The CMHA June 2025 campaign for Men’s Mental Health Week shared mental health facts and tips for loved ones. The association also outlined resources, including MenTELL.ca, an organization that aims to create “a society where men from all walks of life feel safe and supported in expressing their emotional and mental challenges” and have ready access to resources.
Recovery Colleges
Over the past few years, the CMHA has opened more Recovery Colleges, which are now in seven Canadian provinces. The association describes the colleges as: “focused on personal recovery in mental health and well-being…(and that) provide an innovative learning space where anyone can access free courses, webinars, workshops, and events to learn, gain new skills, and connect with others in their community.” Admission is free.
Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC)
The Mood Disorders Society is a mental health, non-governmental organization that aims to improve “quality of life for Canadians affected by mood disorders”.
Canadians can find their local MDSC chapter at the society’s website (see Provincial Organizations).
Support Links for Family
The MDSC offers Support Links for family – for example, see ‘Related Links for Young People.’
Support for Veterans
The MDSC offers free programs for veterans and their family members, including mental health webinars, a volunteer hub, and a call program called Connection Line.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, CAMH – not to be confused with the CMHA, described above – is Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospital and a renowned international research centre.
CAMH offers a wide range of help and resources, including information about family support, courses and publications, some of which also suggest other organizations and groups.
A dedicated page on the centre’s website, called No One Left Behind, offers a wide range of help and resources for youth. The page lists four popular sources of information:
- Youth and Mental Health 101 course: the course is designed for young people to complete, and the aim is to encourage them “to start a conversation about mental health with others in their lives, and to reach out for support if they are struggling”. The tutorial is self-paced and typically takes 30 minutes to finish.
- Mental Health Conversation starters: What approaches can adults take to start conversations about mental health with youth needing support? Young people worked with CAMH to develop a resource that includes conversation starters about mental health.
- Cannabis conversation starters: information and tips are available for adults and other caregivers planning to talk with a youth about the risks of cannabis use.
- Guide to community resources: A variety of services related to mental health and substance use are available across Canada. CAMH offers a Youth Wellness Quest to help people find out what services are near them.
Another program from CAMH, which is available online to those 18+ years old, is designed to help people who are struggling to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes. The program, called Stop on the Net, is offered through the Intrepid Lab.
Ontario residents only: A CAMH initiative called Youth Wellness Hubs is offered in more than 20 areas of the province. Through the hubs, youths between 12 and 25 have access to mental health supports and activities. At the Scarborough Youth Hub, for example, recent activities varied between a drop-in program and study time, and education sessions on topics like photography and music engineering. A range of staff are at the hubs, including peer support workers; nurse practitioners; therapists; and youth wellness program leaders.
HELP DURING A CRISIS
Crisis lines provide immediate help to anyone – adults or youths – in serious distress:
988 is the number to call or text in Canada and the U.S. Those living in the U.S. can also chat via 988lifeline.org.
Canadian youth under 20 – in Canada, Kids Help Phone offers 24-hour, confidential help. Text 686868; or call 1-800-668-6868; or chat via the Kids Help website.
