Crisis Response Services
For people who are experiencing a mental health crisis, and their family or friends, we offer a Community Crisis Response Service. Call, text or chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-855-310-COPE (2673).
Crisis workers will provide an immediate response in a variety of critical situations (e.g., depression, loneliness, anxiety or fear, thoughts of suicide, hopelessness, etc.). Depending on the caller’s level of need, crisis services may include:
- access to a mental health support team
- a stay in a short-term crisis bed
- assistance navigating through a range of community services
Mental Health Case Management
Our case managers will encourage you to play an active role in addressing your needs through our Case Management Services. We work together with you to develop a plan that helps you access community resources, reach your goals and strengthen social and family supports.
We can help if you:
- are 16 years of age or older
- live in York Region or South Simcoe
- have a diagnosable mental health condition and/or addictions issue and/or dual diagnosis
We offer the following Case Management Services:
- Intensive Case Management
- Flexible Supports
- Dual Diagnosis
- Trauma
- Community Treatment Orders
- Hoarding
- Criminal Justice
- Service Resolution
- Hospice
Streamlined Access
Streamlined Access is an intake and assessment service that provides referrals and/or access to a number of mental health and supportive housing programs through one streamlined application process. We can help people who are 16 years and older who live in York Region or South Simcoe, and need help with their mental health and addictions recovery.
We help people:
- identify the help they need
- find information on available supports and services
- apply for services and connect to other community supports and services.
Developmental Services Case Management
Our case managers provide Case Management Services to adults who have developmental disabilities living in York Region. Individuals and their families receive assistance to plan for the services they need to support the individual with the delay as well as connect them with services available in the community.
We can help if you:
- are an adult with a developmental disability
- live in York Region
We can connect you to the following services:
- respite planning and camps
- special education services
- government funding resources
- health services
- adult services
Developmental Services Ontario (DSO)
Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) connects people to available services and supports so that they can become more independent and actively involved in their communities, and ultimately, have more meaningful lives. Some of those supports can include case management services, support workers, housing supports, community participation supports, caregiver respite supports, and more.
DSO is the access point for adult developmental services funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) in Ontario. There are 9 DSO agencies located across the province serving different counties and regions.
DSO Central East Region includes the Regional Municipality of York, the Regional Municipality of Durham, Simcoe County, Peterborough County, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Passport Program
The Passport Program, funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, helps adults with a developmental disability live as independently as possible by providing funding for community participation services and supports, activities of daily living, and person-directed planning. The program also provides funding for caregiver respite services and supports for primary caregivers of an adult with a developmental disability.
Respite for Families
YSSN hosts respite services for families through two ways:
- A Respite Access Facilitator works with adults and their families to identify their respite needs, develops plans, and find the resources that are right for them.
- The CHAP Program (Community Helpers for Active Participation) maintains a respite worker registry to assist families in hiring staff.
Why register with the CHAP Program?
- Families can connect easily with respite workers either to work in the home and/or enable individuals to participate in community based respite opportunities
- Once registered, families can access CHAP workers as much or as little as needed. Families receive and review the profiles of workers and independently negotiate with and hire a worker who best suits their needs
Peer Support Services
Our Peer Support Services connect you to a peer who has faced mental health and/or addictions challenges, homelessness, or to caregivers of adults with a developmental disability and/or caregivers of a person with a mental health condition and/or addictions. They understand your situation and can help you find hope, build trust and resilience, and embrace non-judgmental acceptance.
Offered through our Flexible Supports Intensive Case Management service, Community Crisis Response – 1-855-310-COPE (2673) and Streamlined Access, our team of peer support facilitators can help you find hope, empowerment, non-judgmental acceptance and trust.
Caregiver Support
Caregivers of an adult with a developmental disability can receive emotional support from caregiving peers who understand. Our Family Peer Mentors are family caregivers with lived experience who can help you, the caregiver, by:
- Developing strategies for self-care and stress management
- Assisting you in navigating community caregiver programs and resources
- Offering monthly support groups, and workshops with a focus on self-care and wellness
Up Hub
Up Hub is York Region’s go-to online and print community resource navigator for local social services in mental health, addictions, and developmental disabilities, as well as a peer-based platform for people to share their stories and uplifting experiences to help others.
Up your community. Up your connections. Up your life.
The Up Your Life guide (formerly the York Region on a Limited Budget book) is a popular peer-based guidebook that includes more than 400 community resource listings, tips, personal stories of struggle and resilience and other helpful information for people living in York Region.