Crisis Lines and 811
If you are experiencing a crisis or extreme distress, don’t hesitate to seek help. All of these crisis lines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and many of them also have chat and texting options available.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call 911 or visit your local health care centre.
- Helpline - 811
- NWT Family Violence Shelters (Shelter Network)
- Alison McAteer House Crisis Line
- Kids Help Phone
- Hope for Wellness Help Line
- Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program
- 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
811 Helpline responders are registered nurses who can also assist you with concerns related to mental wellness and addictions recovery. Our nurses are trained in a variety of areas, including stress management, suicidal thoughts, abuse, sexual assault, depression, anxiety, grief, loss, and substance use. Call us at 811 or 1-844-259-1793. Our services are available in English and French, with translation services provided for all official languages of the NWT. Your comfort is important, which is why this service remains 100% free and confidential.
For more information visit: www.gov.nt.ca/811
NWT Family Violence Shelters (Shelter Network)
If you are experiencing violence at home and are looking for help, contact the NWT Family Violence Shelters. Whether you need a safe place to stay, an Emergency Protection Order or someone to talk to, the 24/7 crisis line is available whenever you need it: 1-866-223-7775.
For more information and regional contacts, click here.
Alison McAteer House Crisis Line
If you are experiencing abuse or violence at home and need help, contact the Alison McAteer House Crisis Line. This Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can help if you need a safe place to stay, an Emergency Protection Order, or just someone to talk to.
If you need help, call the crisis line at 1-866-223-7775, and they will help keep you safe or provide you with the support you need.
For more information about the service and supports offered by the Alison McAteer house, click here.
If you are 25 years old or younger and need someone to talk to, the Kids Help Phone is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Texting and online chat options are also available 24/7.
- To talk with a counsellor, call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868;
- To text with a counsellor, text the word CONNECT to 686868;
- To live chat, click here and then click the “chat” button OR download the Always There app. This chat function is available from 6:00PM – midnight.
For more information, click here to visit their website.
The Hope for Wellness Help Line offers immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention to all Indigenous peoples across Canada.
- To talk to a counsellor, call the toll-free Help Line at 1-855-242-3310, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- To live chat, click here to connect with a counsellor
Experienced and culturally competent Help Line counsellors can help if you:
- want to talk;
- are distressed;
- have strong emotional reactions; and/or
- are triggered by painful memories.
Phone and chat counselling is available in English and French, and on request, phone counselling is also available in Cree, Ojibway and Inuktut.
Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program
All former Indian Residential School students, regardless of the individual's status or place of residence within Canada, who attended an Indian Residential School listed in the 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, are eligible to receive services from the Resolution Health Support Program.
Resolution Health Support Program Services are safe, confidential, respectful and non-judgmental.
You can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling the 24-Hour National Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through 9-8-8