Mental Health and General Health Resources
Feel Free to Reach Out
We recognize everyone has individual needs – a service that could be suitable for your friend may not be the best service for you. If you have any questions about the services listed below or would like support in finding information on additional services, please contact I/CAN’s Social Care Advisor.
Sarah O’Gorman
Social Care Advisor (maternity leave cover)
s.ogorman@irishcdn.org
778-689-9590
If you get our voicemail, please do leave a message. We will send you a text to confirm you are free for a call back.
General Health
Is Healthcare Free in Canada?
People legally residing in Canada who meet the minimum requirements for healthcare coverage in their province/territory could have access to a range of free (fully covered) and low cost (partially covered) healthcare services and some prescribed drug coverage. The administration and delivery of these healthcare services is different for each province or territory.
When you arrive, you should start the process of signing up to the government provincial Health Plan. As most provinces and territories have minimum requirements that must be met before you are eligible (e.g.: minimum period spent residing in a province, minimum employment period), and as there can be different waiting periods for coverage to be approved and become active, it is extremely important to have private health insurance during this time.
See here for info:
Health cards | Canada.ca > Scroll down to the province or territory you live in to see minimum requirements and how to apply.
Health system and services | Canada.ca
Ministries of health | Canada.ca
IEC and Health Insurance
If you are planning to move to Canada on the International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit, you must have health insurance coverage when you enter Canada to activate your work permit. This health insurance must cover all areas stipulated by the IEC. Further, you must have health insurance for the entire time you are in Canada. You may be refused entry if you don’t have insurance. If your insurance policy is valid for less time than your expected stay in Canada, you may be issued a work permit that expires at the same time as your insurance. Even when you become eligible to start receiving provincial healthcare coverage, you must keep your private health insurance policy active for the duration of your IEC work permit.
To learn more about this important requirement see: International Experience Canada: How to apply
Click here to learn about Maintained Status and Healthcare in Canada.
Who to Call in An Emergency
When fire, police or medical emergencies occur call 911 to seek help and guidance.
Available 24/7 across Canada.
Who to Call for Non-urgent Health Issues
24/7 across Canada: call 811 to be connected to the health information and advice phone line in your area. You can ask to speak with a nurse to describe your health concerns. They may advise you re seeking medical attention or signpost you to medical resources in your community if needed.
How to Find A Doctor
Many find it difficult to get a GP when they first move to Canada. Try phoning and/or walking into doctors’ offices in your local area to see if they are accepting new patients. If they offer a nurse practitioner, you could consider this option.
Medimap is an online system where you can enter your postal code to discover walk-in clinics in your area, opening hours, and average wait times. If you find a doctor in a walk-in clinic that you would like to be your family doctor, you can ask to go on their patient list. If they are full, you can ask about their walk-in clinic days and times and then arrange to see them during those hours in the future (if possible).
Note: If you do not have healthcare coverage yet for the province or territory that you are living in and you need to see a doctor, you should always call ahead to ask how much the visit will be as the price of attending walk-in clinics can be different in each clinic.
Where to Go for Sexual Health Checkups
Looking after your sexual health and getting tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is very important.
Learn about when to get tested, where, and what to expect when getting tested in Canada:
Canada.ca | Getting tested for STIs
Catie
A website with HIV, Hepatis C, Sexual Health, and Harm Reduction Services in Canada
Donating Blood in Canada
To check if you are eligible to donate blood in Canada and to book an appointment visit Canadian Blood Services_Am I eligible to donate blood?
Mental Health
Mental Health Resources across Canada
Canada.ca | Provincial and territorial mental health resources
Across Canada there are many mental health resources available, some free, some funded under your provincial/territorial healthcare, and some which you will need to pay for.
Free Helplines
It’s okay to ask for help. There are free supports available to you 24/7 across Canada and in Ireland.
In an emergency call: 911
Canada 988 Suicide Prevention Service: HERE
Samaritans (Helpline for Irish in Canada): Call: +1 (833) 951 2484
If you are experiencing spousal abuse or any type of family violence, please click on your province or territory on the Canada.ca page here, which lists helplines for different locations.
Counselling
There are many different types of counselling services available to you.
Appointments can be:
in person
virtual
phone
and there are different cost options available:
free
low-cost
sliding scale fee
full price
It can be difficult to know where to start. Reach out to I/CAN’s Social Care Advisor by phone, email, or text message to set up a call to go over what type of counselling you are looking for. You will be supported in determining which option may be best suited to your needs and will be signposted to relevant services available to you.
All contact with I/CAN is free and confidential.
Tip: If you have health benefits from your work, or your common law partner/spouse’s work, you may have $ allocated to counselling/therapy sessions. Always check with your benefits company to determine how much coverage you have and what accreditation the counsellor needs to have to submit claims under your coverage, as some benefits companies don’t cover certain counsellor accreditation.
Free Counselling Options
Helplink.ie provides a free online counselling service for Irish citizens living abroad.
Visit here to learn about how this service works.
Men’s Mental Health Resources
Men can find it more difficult to reach out for support for their mental health. These free men’s mental health resources may be helpful:
Buddy Up
HeadsUpGuys
Wellbeing
Looking after our wellbeing is extremely important for our overall health. You might consider designing a self-care plan, exploring exercises that might be beneficial, booking appointments for your wellbeing – counselling, acupuncture, physiotherapy, massage etc. (remember if you have health benefits from work you may be able to claim some of the cost of these appointments). Spending time with people and building connections can also be a way of looking after your wellbeing.
I/CAN |Feel at Home/ Irish Canadian Community Organizations: a list of groups and organizations where you can meet new people.
Search for community/recreation centres in the province or territory you are living in. They may have a gym, pool, ice rink etc, and a range of affordable classes/short-term courses you can sign up to. This could be great for your wellbeing and a way to make new friends in your community.
Recreation centres Toronto
Community centres Vancouver
Addictions
Addiction Services Information
There are many different types of addictions people can have. Listed below are the most frequently asked-about addiction services. Please contact I/CAN’s Social Care Advisor if you want support finding information on other services.
Substance Use Addiction
The Responsible Gambling Council has listed online supports and toll-free gambling help phone numbers across Canada.
Gambling Support
If you are experiencing a substance use addiction from drugs or alcohol, find out about supports available Canada-wide and in the province or territory you are living in on the Canada.ca “Get help with substance use” page.
Cannabis Addiction
If you feel you may have an addiction to cannabis, you can find supports available on the Canada.ca “Addiction to cannabis” page.
Drug Checking Services
In some areas of Canada, there are free drug checking centres that use machines to analyze samples of certain drugs to check if there are traces of potent substances like fentanyl, benzodiazepines, and LSD in them.
Get your drugs tested (Based in Vancouver and available to people living across Canada)
Other resources
Social Media
Every Monday I/CAN shares Monday Morning Mental Health Awareness posts to make followers aware of supports and services available to them.
Facebook Instagram
Useful tip: go to I/CAN’s Facebook page and type in the search bar any resource you are looking for more information on. You may find a post already shared about this.
Other Mental Health Resources
For more information on Mental Health Services available in your province or territory see here: Canada.ca Mental Health Services
Podcasts
I/CAN has a variety of podcasts on Spotify where the team meets with guests to speak about various topics including: finding and accessing mental health, general health, and wellbeing services in Canada; adjusting to life as newcomer in Canada; networking and job hunting, etc. Visit and listen to learn more!
Webinar
Visit here for a previously recorded I/CAN webinar addressing mental health and wellbeing resources available across Canada.
Social Care Program made possible by funding from the St. Patrick’s Benevolent Society of Toronto
In the spirit of compassion, the St. Patrick’s Benevolent Society was established in 1836 to help vulnerable Irish immigrants in Toronto. Over 180 years later, though the nature of the needs has changed, the Society’s interest in supporting newly arrived Irish remains steadfast. We are grateful for their gift to I/CAN.