Mental Health Support - Accessing Services

Where to Find Mental Health Services and What to Expect When You Access Them

Sad man sitting cross-legged on ground beside lake

Are you in crisis, feeling unsafe, or worried you might hurt yourself or others? If you are experiencing a life-threatening issue, please call 911.

Urgent Help & Crisis Lines

  • 911 (if you are at-risk of harming yourself or others)
  • Employee and Family Assistance Program - more information below
  • Here 24/7 (1-844-437-3247)
  • Grand River Hospital (519-749-4300)
  • Kitchener Mobile Crisis Walk In: 67 King St. East, Kitchener, ON N2G 2K4. Phone: 519-744-7645. Toll Free: 1-877-627-2642
    Hours: Daily 9:00 – 5:00 p.m.
  • Crisis Services Canada - 1-833-456-4566 or by text 45645

University of Waterloo Employee and Family Assistance Program

The Employee and Family Assistance Program, delivered through Homewood Health Inc., provides employees of the University of Waterloo and their dependent family members with a range of health and wellness services. The program is a complement to the current benefits program, at no additional cost to employees.

Homewood Health offers short-term, confidential counselling that includes face-to-face (flexible hours), telephone or online sessions for a variety of needs. The program also includes Life Smart Coaching and other online services including e-learning sessions and resource location services. Your private information, including whether you or your dependents have accessed the program, is never shared with family members or the University. Find out more about Homewood Health's services.

What to expect when you contact Homewood

You can contact Homewood Health directly by calling the phone numbers below, or visiting their website.

  • 1.800.663.1142 (English)
  • 1.866.398.9505 (French)
  • 1.888.384.1152 (TTY)
  • 604-689-1717 International (call collect)

When you call, you or your family member will be connected with an Intake Coordinator. Homewood offers many services for a variety of issues in situations. In order to connect you with the best counsellor or coach for you and your situation, the Intake Coordinator will ask you a number of questions.

Additional and Specialized Crisis Support

Regional Resources: The Region of Waterloo provides various community services in addition to what's provided below.

Provincial Resources: For students who live in Ontario, but outside of Waterloo Region, the following provincial resources are available:

National Resources: Most provinces have crisis support lines. There are also federal resources that accessible anywhere in Canada.

How do I Know What Type of Support I Need?

There are two types of support:

  • Urgent care
  • Non-urgent help

Urgent Care is needed when a person feels they are at risk of harming themselves or others. Urgent care usually requires immediate, medical intervention. When urgent care is needed, there are several options:

  • Call 911
  • If you can do so safely, go to your nearest medical facility (emergency room or walk-in clinic)
  • Call a crisis support line (listed above)
  • Call Telehealth Ontario

Non-urgent help can be beneficial in a range of situations. Many counsellors say that the best time to receive counselling is before you need it. Non-urgent help can be accessed at any point for almost anything. It is important to know which type on non-urgent help is needed for different situations. Most commonly, non-urgent help is accessed for the following:

  • As a prevention, to help learn skills and strategies that will support you in times of difficulty
  • Things are OK, but you feel they could be better
  • You are struggling, but still managing and coping
  • The struggle is becoming too big to manage or cope, you feel overwhelmed, and it is starting to impact other aspects of your life
  • You feel distress, extreme overwhelm, despair, or are unable to manage or cope, but are NOT at risk of harming yourself or others

There are many types of non-urgent help, ranging from family and friends to several types of mental health professionals. To learn more about non-urgent help you can click on the counselling and treatment section below, as well as complete one of the screening tests on our Self-Screening webpage.

Types of Treatment to Support Mental Health & Wellbeing

Mental health conditions are complex with several interconnected aspects. There are several approaches for treating mental health conditions, which can be used independently or in combination with each other.

  • Medications
  • Counselling
  • Rehabilitation programs (in-patient, or out-patient programs)
  • Group therapy
  • Skills and psychoeducation training (Workshops, courses, apps, etc. See our Wellness Education & Training page for a range of options)
  • Supportive practices (mindfulness, exercise, sleep, time in nature, etc. These are not considered treatments; however supportive practices are often used as part of a treatment program and have been shown to help improve and maintain wellbeing. There are a variety of evidence-based practices that you might find helpful. For more information, see our Wellness Strategies webpage).
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (only used for severe or resistant conditions)
  • Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (this is an emerging and controversial approach that is only used for severe or resistant conditions)

The choice of treatment approach is personal decision and part of an ongoing conversation between you and your doctor. There are many reasons to seek treatment. Two important reasons are prevention and success.

When left untreated, mental health conditions can become mental illnesses. If that happens, the condition becomes more severe, and can take longer or become more challenging to treat. The sooner individuals seek treatment, the sooner they can start to feel better.

Another important reason to seek treatment is the success rate. While treating mental health concerns is rarely a “quick fix”. According to the American Psychiatric Association, 75% of people who sought counselling support found it helpful, although some benefit more from a combination of medication and counseling. A growing body of research in mental health consistently reveals new information and options for treating mental health concerns.

Different Types of Mental Health Practitioners

Mental health support tends to fall into three main categories:

  • Personal/unlicensed support
  • Professional/licensed support
  • Other related/supporting roles (licensed or unlicensed)

Personal and Unlicensed Support

Personal, unlicensed often refers to peer support, like the type we receive from family, friends, and mentors. It can also include unlicensed professional roles such as life coaches, elders or spiritual leaders, and self-help or self-directed resources. Regardless of what is happening in our lives, this personal support is a key aspect of wellbeing and happiness. For many life events and issues, this type of support is adequate. If situations worsen, become more complex, or continue for longer than 3 weeks, it is recommended to also seek professional support.

Professional and Licensed Support

 When we refer to mental health professionals, we are usually referring to one of the following:

  • Family doctor (MD)
  • Psychiatrist (MD)
  • Clinical Psychologist (C.Psych)
  • Master of Social Work (MSW)
  • Registered Psychotherapist (R.P.)

Understanding the difference between these practitioners and which one to access is often one of the most confusing aspects of help seeking. Here is a brief summary:

Family doctor (MD) - Family doctors can diagnose mental health disorders and prescribe medication for mental health disorders. Some family doctors also provide counselling for mental health concerns. They are covered by OHIP. A referral from your family doctor is usually needed to access as psychiatrist.

Psychiatrist (MD) – Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed advanced medical training in psychiatry. They can diagnose mental health disorders and prescribe medications. In Ontario, psychiatrists predominately support medication management, however some will offer counselling. A referral from your family doctor is usually needed to access as psychiatrist. There is currently a shortage of psychiatrists in Canada often resulting in long wait times. Psychiatrists are covered by OHIP.

Clinical Psychologist (C.Psych) – A clinical psychologist is a mental health professional who “studies how we think, feel and behave from a scientific viewpoint  and applies this knowledge to help people understand, explain and change their behaviour” (Canadian Psychological Association). They have graduate level training in psychology. Psychologists have special training in the use of psychological tests to assess and diagnosis mental health disorders and learning disabilities. They use a variety of therapies and approaches when treating a person with a mental health concern. Psychologists cannot prescribe medication because they are not medical doctors. You do NOT usually need a referral from a family doctor, however your health benefit plan might require one. Psychologists are NOT covered by OHIP and are either paid out-of-pocket or through extended health benefits.

Master of Social Work (MSW) – An MSW is a mental health professional who has completed a Master of Social Work degree. When people say “counsellor” they are usually referring to either an MSW or a Registered Psychotherapist (see below). MSWs work in a variety of settings including, schools, clinics, hospitals, government organizations, and private practice to provide counselling for mental health concerns. MSWs use a variety of strategies and approaches when treating individuals with mental health concerns, but they cannot prescribe medication. MSWs are NOT covered by OHIP and are either paid out-of-pocket or through extended health benefits.

Registered Psychotherapist (R.P.) – A registered psychotherapist is a mental health professional who has completed a Master of Counselling Psychology or similar degree. When people say “counsellor” they are usually referring to either an MSW (see above) or a Registered Psychotherapist. Like MSWs, psychotherapists work in a variety of settings including, schools, clinics, hospitals, government organizations, and private practice to provide counselling for mental health concerns. Psychotherapists use many of the same approaches and strategies as MSWs. The biggest differences between MSWs and psychotherapists is the type of degree they hold, and agency they are licensed through. Like MSWs, psychotherapists cannot prescribe medication and are NOT covered by OHIP. They are either paid out-of-pocket or through extended health benefits.

Other related/supporting roles (licensed or unlicensed)

There are a number of other professions that often play a significant role in mental health recovery that are not considered mental health professionals. These roles include:

  • Pharmacists
  • Occupational therapists
  • Recreational therapists
  • Nurses/Nurse Practitioners
  • Nutritionists/dietitians
  • Personal trainers (impacts of exercise on wellbeing)
  • Complimentary services such as: physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, acupuncturists, etc.
  • Life coaches
  • Traditional elders/healers, or other spiritual leaders

Who to See For What

Below is a brief summary of which practitioners to seek based on your needs:

  • Diagnosis: family doctor, psychiatrist, clinical psychologists
  • Medication: family doctor, psychiatrist
  • Testing for neurodiversity (autism, ADHD, etc.): Clinical psychologist (usually), some psychiatrists may also offer testing
  • Counselling/therapy: usually an MSW or registered psychotherapist. Some psychologists and psychiatrists also offer counselling
  • Psychoeducation/skill building/solution focused approaches/support: most often MSW, registered psychotherapist, personal coach, peer support (depending on the concern), other non-licenced roles or educators.

Many people find it helpful to have 2 or 3 of these roles on their health team.

How to Find Support

Finding the services you need can be time consuming and challenging. Finding the right support often relies on strong self-advocacy skills which can be challenging when we are not at our best. Below is a list of suggestions of how to find the support you need.

  • Family Physicians: Your family physician is often a good starting point. Physicians treat a variety of health conditions, and usually have a list of services and practitioners they can provide to patients. Some programs and treatments, such as Psychiatrists and some in-patient programs, require a physician referral. Your family physician is an important member of your health care team, so it can be helpful to bring them into the process early.
  • Pharmacists: Pharmacists are trained in a number of drug and non-drug approaches to supporting wellbeing. Pharmacists are an important member of your personal health team. Many Pharmacists are aware of community-based programs and practitioners.
  • Medical Facility: Many hospitals have both in and out patient programs to support a variety of mental health needs, as well as referral options. Grand River Hospital - 519-749-4300; St. Mary's Hospital - 519-744-3311; Cambridge Memorial Hospital - 519- 621-2330.
  • Ask a Friend: Referrals are still one of the best ways to find the support you need. Yes, it can feel awkward to initiate this type of conversation. When our friends have similar needs and preferences to ourselves, the counsellor they use is often a good starting point for exploration. Your friend's counsellor might also work in a clinic with a number of practitioners which provides you with more options. As noted above, fit is important when it comes to counselling. If your friend's counsellor is not a good fit for you, ask if the counsellor can refer you to someone else.
  • Campus Wellness "Other Resources Off-Campus" listing: Campus Wellness has a limited list of therapists in Waterloo region. Many of these therapist work with employees in addition to Waterloo students.
  • EngSoc Off-Campus Mental Health Resources listing: EngSoc compiled a list of Counsellors in the Waterloo region. The list is not exhaustive, but it is more extensive than the Campus Wellness listing.
  • TheCanadian Mental Health Association provides resources to help you balance your priorities and maintain optimum mental health both at home and in the workplace.
  • Homewood Health Centre (This is different from our EAP program): Homewood Health Centre is a 300-bed treatment facility located on 50-acres on the banks of the Speed River in Guelph, Ontario. They have a variety of inpatient programs for depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, and more.
  • Community Links: Mental health and addictions database line - 519 744-5594
  • Provincial or National Programs and Associations: There are many programs and associations that were created to support individuals dealing with specific mental health challenges, such as the Mood Disorders Association of Canada. Many of these associations maintain a ist of resources, programs, and practitioners.
  • Provincial and National licensing organizations: In Canada, Mental health practitioners must be licensed. Many provincial and national licensing bodies, such as provincial psychological associations, College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, and Talking Can Help have listings on their website to help you find a counsellor.

Additional Resources

Through-out our lives, we all navigate a variety of circumstance and degrees of challenge. Some will be annoying or inconvenient, and others will demand great efforts from us. Below are a number of resources, sorted by topic to assist you with a variety of possible situations.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Physical Health

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus/Community Resources

Illness, Injury, and Accommodations for Functional Limitations (Acute or Chronic)

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Stress Management

Assess your stress level by completing the Perceived Stress Scale (PDF) Stress self-check from Mental Health America

Burnout & Compassion Fatigue Prevention and Recovery

Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

COVID-19 Resources

Financial & Career Development

Career Resources

Financial Resources

Nutrition & Food

On-Campus Resources

Off-Campus Resources

Mental Health Training Opportunities

Coping with Grief and Loss

Dealing with Loneliness and Isolation

Smoking, Substance Usage and Harm Reduction

Didn't find what you were looking for? Contact the Engineering Community Wellness Officer, Renate Donnovan for additional resources.