ConnexOntario

About ConnexOntario

ConnexOntario is a professional service provider located in downtown London on Pall Mall Street that offers free, confidential information regarding mental health, addictions, and problem gambling. The organization serves individuals, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals across Ontario, providing navigation and brief supportive listening to help people understand their options and find appropriate programs. The service provides access to a database of 5,320 programs, including publicly funded, OHIP-subsidized, and charitable services. These include resources for issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, eating disorders, substance use, alcohol addiction, and behavioral addictions. Specific types of support found in their directory range from crisis and urgent support and counseling to peer and family support, housing, and both inpatient and outpatient treatment. Additionally, ConnexOntario offers screening tools and questionnaires on topics like anger and anxiety, along with an extensive blog collection. Founded in 1991 as the Drug and Alcohol Registry of Treatment (DART) by the Ontario Ministry of Health, the service was originally designed for professionals to find addiction treatment. It expanded to include the Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline in 1997 and Mental Health Service Information Ontario in 2005, eventually merging into its current unified platform in 2018. The organization operates based on principles established by Dr. Brian Rush, focusing on facilitating access to services, stakeholder engagement, and maximizing technology. ConnexOntario provides 24/7 support, 365 days a year, through phone, text, live chat, and email. They offer interpretation services in over 130 languages. While they do not provide clinical treatment, psychotherapy, or diagnosis, they offer a searchable online directory and can perform searches for users. They also provide report services for governments and researchers, offering data in formats such as charts, maps, graphs, and spreadsheets.