List of Addiction and Substance Abuse Organizations in Canada
Addiction Services, a division of the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, aims to assist all individuals in achieving a safe and healthy lifestyle. Addiction Services facilities are located across the province of Nova Scotia and offer help to those struggling with alcohol, drug and gambling addictions. Addiction Services is operated by the District Health Authority of its corresponding community, and individuals can find a convenient location using this link https://mha.nshealth.ca/en/clinics
The website has online mental health and addiction tools and different topics on Substance Use and Gambling, Symptoms, Condition and Group Identity.
Public Health Ontario keeps Ontarians safe. Their mission is to enable informed decision and actions that protect and promote health and contribute to reducing health inequities with a mandate to provide scientific and technical advice and support to clients working in government, public health, health care, and related sectors. The site has a page dedicated to mental illness and substance use and contains documents and resources related to opioids.
This site provides a free online directory of alcohol and drug rehab programs and other addiction-related services, such as sexual addiction, problem gambling and eating disorder treatment, across the country, in order to encourage those struggling with an addiction to seek out the assistance they need. Listings are provided by medical, outpatient, and residential programs, support groups, as well as by individual province. The site also provides a comprehensive listing of terms and definitions for each category listing.
The mandate of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is to provide national leadership and evidence-informed analysis in order to secure the efforts required to reduce alcohol and other drug related harms. CCSA provides access to a range of information relating to substance use and addiction, with clear emphasis on prevention, and provides full access to their publications through the Topics and Publications sections of the website, including CCSA reports, statistics and fact sheets, newsletters and serials. Available in both French and English.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s largest addictions teaching hospital and a world leading research center. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, in the province of Ontario, Canada, and is a Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.
CAMH is strongly committed to providing assistance to those suffering from addiction or mental illness with diverse rehabilitation services tailored to suit the needs of those individuals who are at risk or are at different stages of their addiction or illness.
The CAMH Store offers a wide array of mental illness and addiction resources for patients, families, students and professionals..
Health Canada has a multitude of resources and is responsible for maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. This is supported by the Health Portfolio which comprises Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Health Portfolio consists of approximately 12,000 full-time equivalent employees.
Jewish Addiction Community Service. A nonprofit agency helping those struggling with addiction and co-dependency. Since opening in 2000, more than 8,000 families have turned to JACS Toronto for help. At our Sheppard Avenue headquarters, the community has discovered a comfortable, safe, and spiritual environment where understanding is the rule. Our community, just like many others, is in denial about addiction amongst its members. Jewish families of all denominations are living in turmoil, with few realizing that there is a place for them to go for help. At JACS Toronto, we show there is no shame in reaching out for help. There is no need for the members of our community to suffer in silence. You are not alone. JACS Toronto is a leading educational resource for addiction and recovery in the Greater Toronto Area, working closely with numerous addiction treatment centres and mental health facilities in Canada and internationally. Our focus has been on Toronto’s Jewish community, in which JACS Toronto is the central resource centre for addiction and recovery for Jews of all denominations.
Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24-hour, toll-free, anonymous telephone counseling and referral service and internet service specifically designated for children and youths. The service, although not substance abuse specific, is an essential tool for Canadian children and youth at risk. The site provides an enormous variety of information about youth topics such as health, bullying, cyberbullying, violence and abuse, and a link library to other helpful resources especially for youths. Available in French and English.
The goal of the Pot and Driving Campaign, in cooperation with the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), is to increase awareness among young Canadians of the risks of cannabis-impaired driving. Canadian youth have one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world and many young Canadians who use pot see it as a benign, mainstream drug with no significant negative consequences. Resources, specifically targeted to prevention, are available from the website include a discussion guide for adults, a discussion handout for youths, frequently asked questions and a downloadable promotional poster. Available in French, English and Inuktitut.
The Drugs & Organized Crime Awareness Service (DOCAS) is coordinated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and works in partnership with all levels of Canadian government, and other non-governmental agencies to promote safe and healthy lifestyles in communities across Canada. In addition to its partnerships, DOCAS also provides services such as deal.org, and access to other resources such as a drug identification chart and information about drug awareness and related links.
The Deal.org program is affiliated with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and prides itself as being an information and prevention tool specifically for Canadian youth to encourage healthy decision making and to get involved in their communities. The site has a Drugs and Alcohol Resources page that provides a self-assessment tool, presentation materials, handouts, video-based learning and other topics. Available in French and English.
