Crisis and suicide prevention services
24/7 Intervention hotline
Objectives: Phone interventions often help to defuse a crisis and prevent hospitalization. Our 24/7 hotline is also the access point to all of our other services. Our crisis interventionists are available at any time of the day or night to welcome your requests for help and answer your questions.
How it works: During a call, the crisis interventionist explores the problematic situation, acknowledges the emotions being experienced and determines if the person is likely to act on their suicidal and/or homicidal thoughts. The crisis interventionist then directs the person to the services that are best suited for his or her situation. Depending on the urgency of the situation, other measures may also be taken, such as phone check-ins, meetings in our office or in the community or crisis accommodations (short term).
Eligibility criteria: Any individual in emotional distress or a crisis situation (psychosocial, psychiatric or suicidal). The intervention hotline is also intended for people who are worried about a loved one or friend, individuals bereaved by suicide and as well as health care professionals in need of support in their interventions or who wish to refer someone to our services.
Crisis intervention in the community
Objectives: Crisis interventions in the community allow us to determine the level of danger and emotional disorganization as well as provide immediate help when a phone intervention isn't enough.
How it works: In certain crisis situations, our crisis interventionists may travel to the site of the emergency and suggest an in-person meeting. For safety reasons, two people always travel together.
Eligibility criteria: 18 years old or older. This service is provided to adults in a crisis situation and when our crisis interventionists believe that an on-site intervention is necessary. It can also be requested by police officers, family or friends, or any other professional requiring immediate support during a crisis situation.
Outpatient follow up with individuals at high risk for suicide
Objectives: This outpatient follow up service was developed to provide a safety net and ensure that the person who is in serious danger of acting on his/her suicidal thoughts has access to fast and close monitoring.
How it works: This service consists of a series of one-on-one meetings at our offices or in the individual's personal environment. he meetings help the person reposition himself/herself in regards to their suicidal thoughts, regain hope and work together with a crisis interventionist to reduce the risk factors and begin the recovery process.
Eligibility criteria: 18 years old or older. This service is intended for individuals who have attempted suicide within the last 8 weeks or who are in danger of acting on their suicidal thoughts.
Crisis accommodations (short-term)
Objectives: Short-term accommodations allow people at a high risk of suicide or emotional disorganization to take a step back and have space to rebuild physically and mentally.
How it works: Our home is a place for recovery. Rooms are offered to individuals experiencing a crisis for a period of 24 hours to a maximum of 7 days. Crisis interventionists are on-site at all times. During their stay, the individual meets with our caseworkers and receives support in their recovery process, if necessary.
Eligibility criteria: 18 years old or older. This service is offered when a room is available and when this type of intervention is determined to be the most appropriate given the situation. Please note that the duration of the person’s stay is based on their needs and is re-evaluated everyday.
Postvention measures following a suicide
Objectives: Postvention measures help to determine the most appropriate process and sequence of interventions following a suicide to minimize the impacts on the people affected. These interventions help the people affected regain their balance and limit the effect of contagion in their entourage.
How it works: When we’re notified of a suicide, our team identifies the vulnerable individuals and contacts them to intervene as soon as possible. Anyone who has been affected in any way whatsoever by a recent suicide can also contact our crisis hotline to benefit from our interventions. Given the large number of people who can be affected at the same time, this service is provided in partnership with health care professionals.
Eligibility criteria: Any person bereaved by the recent suicide of a loved one, or who has witnessed a suicide.
Support groups for people bereaved by suicide
Objective: Our support group aims to provide information about this type of mourning while providing participants with an opportunity to share their experience and overcome their isolation.
How it works: It’s an open support group facilitated by a mental health counsellor, two hours per week for 12 weeks. Each group consists of a maximum of six people.
Eligibility criteria: 18 years old or older. Anyone bereaved by the suicide of a loved one for more than 6 months.
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Mental health rehabilitation services
Transitional housing
Objectives: Following a psychiatric hospitalization, a transitional stay in our housing allows individuals to gradually organize their return into their community and helps stabilize their emotional state. This stay can also prevent a person's hospitalization by temporarily removing them from their environment.
How it works: During their stay, the individual receives support from our mental health counsellors to develop their sense of autonomy and help them maintain their abilities. The person also learns to use the resources available in the community in a safe and stimulating environment. The stay lasts for one month.
Eligibility criteria: 18 years old or older. This service is provided to individuals with mental health problems and who are in the process of reintegrating back into the community. Our transitional housing is offered primarily to individuals post-hospitalization.
Rehabilitation housing (medium-term)
Objectives: The purpose of readaptation housing is to help individuals suffering from mental health issues regain control over their life. A medium-term stay allows the person to live in society, develop plans for their future and get support in developing their autonomy.
How it works: The learning process is offered through daily living activities. The stay can last between three and six months depending on the intervention plan developed with a designated mental health counsellor. The person is free to leave the housing at any time, if they so desire. When there aren't any rooms available, individuals will be put on a waiting list.
Eligibility criteria: 18 years old or older. This service is provided to individuals with severe mental health problems and who are in the process of reintegrating back into the community.
Supportive housing (rooms)
Objectives: A supervised home allows individuals who have benefited from readaptation services to consolidate their abilities and develop social and relational skills through sharing and mutual support.
How it works: Residents live in shared accommodations with roommates and receive mandatory group and individual meetings every week.
Eligibility criteria: 18 years old or older. This service is complementary for people with severe mental health issues who have gained a sense of autonomy and stability through their recovery efforts.
Intensive case management (ICM)
Objectives: ICM provides support to individuals facing serious mental health problems so that they may develop their individual abilities and achieve their life plan. This service also helps the person gain stability, develop their autonomy and prevent emotional disorganization or hospitalization.
How it works: This service is provided by a case worker in the person's living environment, at a frequency of 2 to 7 meetings per month. The case worker helps the person develop personal and social skills and learn about the resources needed to carry out their everyday activities. Follow-up is provided for several months based on the recovery objectives that the person has set.
Eligibility criteria: 18 years old or older. This service is provided to individuals with severe mental health disorders (Axis 1: severe and persistent psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders and mood disorders). They must also demonstrate a loss of functional autonomy that limits their everyday activities.
