Searching for Support Groups

Holistic chronic pain management:

• help in navigating the health care system and identifying resources that may be needed to improve overall quality of life
• promotes self-management of pain
• empowerment to break pain and symptom cycle

Network of support for kin, customary care, and adoptive parents and caregivers to achieve permanency for children. Advocacy, guidance, resources and community connections are provided at any point in the care journey so that children may reach their full potential.

• advice on local resources
• online and face-to-face support groups
• one-on-one support
• mentor and buddy matching

Support group members address concerns related to ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome/ASD. Participants learn coping strategies and gain tools connected to life skills, medication, alternative therapies, and managing impulsive behaviours.

Common issues discussed include:

• self-care
• addictions
• making and keeping friends / romantic partners
• study skills
• procrastination
• perfectionism
• stigma
• entrepreneurialism
• finding the right work environment

All-inclusive, self-help, peer support group for people challenged by mental illness and the families and friends that support them. Purposes include:

• to work with community partners
• meet and share experiences in support of one another
• inform and educate participants, mental health professionals, and the public
• eliminate discrimination and social stigma surrounding mental illness and mood disorders

COVID-19 Update: Offices are closed until further notice. Support is available by phone or e-mail. Visit website for resources and information on spinal cord injury and COVID-19.

If in need ot support from SCIO, have a spinal cord injury, and are not yet a client, call or e-mail referrals@sciontario.org

If unsure who to contact, info@sciontario.org or call 1-877-422-1112.

Information and support services include:

• information and support to obtain community services (accessible housing, attendant services, home / vehicle modifications, transportation, funding for assistive devices)
• customized help in transition from acute care and rehabilitation back to community
• advocacy
• peer support program
• counselling to support independent living
• employment services

COVID-19 Update: In-person and online meetings available. Visit website for regular meeting updates, link to virtual meetings and information on how to access meetings by phone.

Primary purpose of AA members is to remain sober and help other people living with alcoholism to achieve sobriety

• open and closed meetings
• automated and live answering service
• no dues or fees for AA membership
• self supporting through contributions
• not allied with any sect, denomination, political organization, other organizations or institutions
• large print books available
• kids welcome locations

Mutual support group and information on learning to live with Parkinson's disease.

Variety of programs, services and initiatives include:

• workshops and events
• education and resources
• awareness and research campaigns
• counselling
• support groups and activity based programming

COVID-19 Update: CMHA Waterloo Wellington has altered service delivery to protect public health and safety. For more information about service changes, visit COVID-19: Update on Services. If in crisis, or not yet connected to a CMHA service, call 1-844-HERE247. For urgent document requests, call Reception at 1-844-CMHA-WW3 (264-2993).

Provides a full care system for those with addictions, mental health or developmental needs. Promotes the mental health of all people through research and information services, sponsored research projects, education, workshops, seminars, pamphlets, newsletters and resource services. Encourages public action and commitment to strengthening community mental health services, legislation and policies affecting services.

Information and Education: brochures and information sheets, workshops and educational events, leisure information, internet access, advocacy and skill development

Referral Services: provided by HERE 24 SEVEN 1-844-437-3247, for many services in the community from a centralized location ; one-to-one meeting where staff can suggest options related to mental health support services (including those provided by the Centres for Mental Health), mental health treatment services and other services available in the community

Support Services: coordinate support services for individuals (youth, adults, seniors and families) who struggle with a significant mental health issue so that they may live and fully participate in their community ; address and overcome barriers in housing, employment, education, leisure, relationships, financial stability and social pursuits; intensive support to short-term crisis support, to intermittent support, provided as needed

Bridging Employment Supports, Links To Work: helps persons with disabilities (ages 16-65) to obtain paid, competitive employment; call 1-866-387-6660 ext 4087 to make an appointment

Entrepreneurship Project: assists individuals who have been involved with the mental health system become self-employed or start their own business; referrals made through local CMHA Centres for Mental Health, other area agencies, or by self referral

Self Help Program: supportive environment for people with lived experience in mental health and addictions; mutual support, sharing of common issues and resources; one-on-one peer support and support group meetings designed to assist individuals in their own growth and development by sharing successes and developing strategies; self help resource centre; recovery planning groups (men's and women's groups); advocacy support, services of entrepreneurship facilitator

Self Help, Spark of Brilliance: community-based mental health initiative that promotes healing, recovery and discovery through the expressive arts; workshops open to people living with mental health issues and / or addictions and their supportive allies, including family members, friends and mental health workers

Offers health services and a variety of allied health services available to clinically rostered clients, including counselling and social work, access to registered dietitians and addictions counselling.

Also offers EarlyON Child and Family Centre Programs, various programs open to community members in their priority population, such as: Parent Outreach Programs, Specialized Outreach Services, and a wide variety of healthy living programs:

WE Breastfeed: peer-led support for breastfeeding parents

Chronic Pain Programs: peer-led support groups, and self-management programs for people living with chronic pain

Mindfulness: meet each day more mindfully with greater intention and awareness

Post Partum Mood Disorder Support Group: personalized support and a weekly mother's support group with child care

ID Clinic: assistance with applications for new and replacement Canadian birth certificates, or Ontario Health Card replacement

Groceries from the SEED: nonprofit, online sliding scale grocery store, open to all, visit The Seed Guelph

Garden Fresh Box: nonprofit, fresh produce buying service to help provide affordable access to fresh fruit and vegetables. See Garden Fresh Box

Fitness Programs: various yoga, Zumba and wellness classes offered online and throughout the community

English Conversation Circle: informal groups offering newcomers a chance to practice and gain confidence in speaking English

For a complete listing of programs with locations, dates and times, including EarlyON Child and Family Centre (Stone Road Mall), visit website: Guelph Community Health Centre

Note: Also houses the Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy and The Seed Food Access Program

Services include:

• specialized assessment and treatment
• coordinated access to allied health and social services
• counselling, education, outreach
• Mobile Community Health Van

RAAC (Rapid Access Addiction Clinic): support, counselling, resources, referrals to address substance dependence and related health concerns, and assistance with recovery goals.

Peripheral services provided for Hepatitis C patients only.

Support services for women and their children who are experiencing or have experienced physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, financial abuse and / or stalking.

• non-residential program (connects women to Marianne's Place)
• individual and group counselling
• child care available during counselling
• safety planning
• support for survivors of childhood sexual abuse / sexual assault / harassment / stalking / human trafficking
• appointment arranged in mutually agreed location if required
• transportation, accompaniment to police, court, hospital, lawyer, shelter, rural services
• advocacy / referral to community agencies
• education / training on all woman abuse / sexual violence issues
• support for criminal injuries compensation / victim impact statements / restraining orders
• housing / legal / financial / custody information and support
• support for family / partners / friends of survivors
• Family Court Support
• client library and resource materials
• public education presentations available on request

Volunteer opportunities available; training provided in Guelph.

Services for women and their children who are experiencing or have experienced violence in a relationship, as well as those who have left abusive relationships or are considering leaving and want to establish violence-free lives in the community.

• risk assessment and safety planning
• access to emergency shelter
• individual and group counselling
• transitional planning
• health and wellness support
• legal information and referrals to police, lawyers, court, hospital
• advocacy and liaison with community agencies and resources
• help with custody, child support issues and getting financial support (eligibility must be established)
• accompaniment to police, court, lawyer, Crown Attorney/Legal Aid, Victim/Witness Assistance Program
• immediate telephone support and information through 24-hour Crisis Line

COVID-19 Update: Some services and support continue to be provided remotely - by e-mail, one-on-one phone support and video counselling. Visit Social Isolation Supports Online. This situation is being reviewed on an ongoing basis. The Crisis Line and shelter remain open.

Risk assessment, safety planning, one-on-one counselling, group counselling, workshops, emergency shelter, transitional planning, housing and legal support, custody and access support, victim impact statement and court preparation, advocacy and public education.

Programs include Marianne's Place (shelter), Transitional and Housing Support Program, Family Court Support Program, Rural Women's Support Program, Sexual Assault Centre, 24-hour Crisis Line, and the Anti-Human Trafficking Program.

Variety of programs and services offered to people living with dementia, their family members and friends, professionals, and community groups throughout the Waterloo Wellington area.

Staff work with clients to develop a plan that meets their needs and interests, providing education, social work support, social and recreational opportunities.Programs and services include counselling, group programs, education, information and resource library.

Community out-patient program for people struggling with addiction. Individual, family and group counselling available.

Programs include:

Workshops and support groups: for adult family members and friends affected by addiction (substance use an process addiction)

Youth Services: at all high schools in Guelph and Wellington County and at three schools in Dufferin County; services may be accessed through the Guidance department

Problem Gambling / Process Addiction Program: individual counselling, education groups, support groups and public education events for people and/or families affected by gambling

Gambling Craving Helpline: recorded message that provides information and steps to help the caller cope with urges and cravings

Note:

• Programs are part of Homewood Regional Services which includes Home and Community Care Waterloo Wellington (formerly WWLHIN) -funded Mental Health programming.
• Other locations include: Clifford, Drayton, Erin, Fergus, Harriston, Mount Forest, Palmerston, Rockwood

Program focus is the management of symptoms related to Traumatic Stress Injury (TSI).

Patients complete a comprehensive assessment and are screened for TSI symptoms to clarify diagnoses, identify symptom clusters, inform a treatment plan, and set specific goals for recovery.

While treatment includes group psychotherapy, patients are also paired with a prime therapist and may engage in a Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Psycho Education.

Specific therapy programs include: TSICP - Concurrent Program; TSICP - Cornerstone Program, TSI - Guardians Program for First Responders, Military and Veterans.

Counselling is offered in person/phone or by video for most programs. Staff continue to be in contact with developmental service clients. Walk-in mental health clinics (Mon in Mount Forest - call for appointment, Tue in Harriston - call for appointment, Wed in Guelph - in-person walk in, and Thu in Fergus - in-person walk in. For appointments, call 519-824-2431.

Distress Line is available 7 days a week, 8 am-10 pm: 519-821-3760 or 1-888-821-3760

Individual, couple, and family counselling:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): confidential counselling and referral services for employees and their families
• Service coordination / case management services for people with a developmental disability and autism spectrum disorder across the age continuum
• Access Information and Referral - AIR- intake for children's developmental services for Guelph and Wellington County

Support Groups

Children:

• Breaking Free - children who have witnessed family violence
• Child and Youth Sexual Assault Team (CYSAT) - children who have been sexually abused, and youth at risk for sexually offending
• High Conflict Communication - separating or divorcing families to foster good communication with children and develop a parenting plan

Men and Women:

• Partner Assault Response Program - for people who perpetrate violence
• men's and women's groups - people surviving childhood sexual abuse
• trauma counselling and support groups
• women who have experienced domestic violence
• member agency of Support Services Network for Male Survivors in Ontario

Consultation and Training:
Employers and community groups with respect to interpersonal work-related issues, stress, parenting, problem solving, conflict management and other areas where personal issues impact work and family life. (EAP)

**Satellite offices in Mount Forest, Fergus and Harriston

Programs and services include:

• telephone support to seniors and caregivers (GWSA Community Support Services)
• gymnasium / auditorium, health room, computer lab, public dining room, community rooms
• active wellness programs
• life long learning (book club, peer learning)
• lending library (fiction and non-fiction books, video cassettes, CDs)
• leisure interest groups, computer courses, fitness, health/wellness, visual / creative arts courses
• games (cards, darts, chess) and activities
• dining room (breakfast, lunch at reasonable cost; catering for private / group social functions)
• outreach program
• trips and tours (day trips offered to members of the Guelph Wellington Seniors Association)

This Centre maintains a list of people who are willing to help seniors with snow shoveling, shopping, odd jobs, cleaning services, etc. Call for information.

NOTE: There is a fee for this service, to be negotiated between the individual and the provider.

Various complex capable addiction treatment programs and services offered in the community utilizing a harm reduction philosophy. Community-based program and service options include:

Community Withdrawal Support Service: set of services offering an alternative to residential withdrawal management

Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics (RAAM): Specialized medical clinic designed for people who are experiencing health issues related to their drug and/or alcohol use.

Drug Treatment Court: Specialized court process for non-violent offenders with addiction issues

Let's Grow Together: Half-day support group for women in the Guelph-Wellington community who are pregnant or parenting children (6 years and younger) and are dealing with substance use issues

Specialized Addiction Support Coordination: For specialized populations (geriatric, acquired brain injury, developmental disability, complex mental health) living with addiction issues; education and consultation to professionals working with these populations

Specialized Outreach Services: Integrated team of peers and professionals offering flexible outreach services to homeless or street-involved people with addiction, mental health, or concurrent issues

Supportive Addiction and Mental Health Housing: A range of supports for people with complex addiction and concurrent mental health needs who are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, or who are considered inadequately housed, without secure and / or maintained housing

Supported Recovery Room: 72-hour stabilization program for people recovering from a mental health or substance related crisis. Eligibility criteria information is available through SRR (519-362-9855)

Addiction Court Support: Outreach-based support for community residents whose substance use has resulted in criminal charges.

Peer 2 Peer Overdose Response Programs: Matches Overdose Response peers with people who have overdosed by meeting them at the hospital Emergency Department to offer harm reduction and recovery support to them, their family and friends.

Rural Wellington Addictions Service: delivered in partnership with the Upper Grand Family Health Team. Provides clients with in-person assessments, treatment/care planning and counselling services.

This service works together with the Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics (RAAM) and Community Withdrawal Support Service (CWSS) to provide addictions support to residents of Wellington County.

Residential programs use a modified 'therapeutic community' treatment model with an approach based on the belief that chronic addiction comes with an acquired lifestyle and that recovery requires a holistic approach that challenges deeply ingrained behaviours and teaches healthy alternatives.

Believing that change is most effective when it is experienced and shared, staff encourage residents to assist each other in every aspect of treatment. Professional staff function as facilitators, guides, and role models. Residents, staff, and alumni comprise a supportive community in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Stonehenge offers 4.5 - 6 month residential programs tailored to the unique needs of adult men and women. Additional residential services include:

Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST): Support coordination, crisis intervention, education, community referrals, and access to a physician via the Ontario Telemedicine Network teleconferencing system, as well as a pharmacist who provides medications on site.

Correctional Programs: Residential beds for male and female offenders under federal and provincial jurisdiction.

Early Childhood Development Program (ECD): Stonehenge reserves one bed in the Women's Residential Program to accommodate pregnant women struggling with substance issues.

Friends and Family Support Program: Monthly group in which family members and friends of residents meet to receive support and learn valuable skills to cope with the impact of addiction; co-facilitated by a staff member and a family member with lived experience.

Regional Aftercare Program: Staff-facilitated aftercare program for individuals who have completed at least three months of the residential program; provides an opportunity to test new-found skills and stay connected to the guidance of the program and staff for up to two years.

COVID-19 Update: The local EA group meeting in Guelph has suspended meeting face-to-face. For information on remote and virtual meeting options, visit the website or contact the EAI office.

Emotions Anonymous International (EAI) is an international nonprofit organization that facilitates the Emotions Anonymous (EA) 12-Step Program.

EAI does not offer medical, psychiatric, therapeutic or counselling services; is not affiliated with any other recovery program.

EA members can work the program by themselves or by attending/participating in meetings. Members:

• meet weekly for a mutual support group meeting to share experiences, feelings, strengths, weaknesses, and hope with one another working toward recovery from any sort of emotional difficulties
• are of diverse in ages, races, economic statuses, social and educational backgrounds
• Note: member confidentially is maintained at all times

EA is a spiritual-based program; applies for any religious affiliations and those without religious beliefs.

Leadership of meetings:

• leaders rotate and are non-professional volunteers with no mental health training
• leaders function to conduct the meeting, ensuring the layout is followed and there are minimal disruptions

Helps families and friends of people experiencing alcohol dependence recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a family member or friend. Based on a 12-step program.

Alateen:

• designed for younger friends and relatives
• Alateen groups are sponsored by Al-Anon members

Note: Al-Anon/Alateen is not affiliated with any other organization or outside entity

Opportunity to share information and common concerns ; public awareness of issues and challenges for people with learning disabilities ; support of legislative initiatives. Programs and services include:

• free information for children, their caregivers, and adults affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities
• sponsors many events and workshops with issues related to LDs and ADHD
• supports parents in advocating for their child - in school, Individual Education Plan (IEP) / Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) meetings
• outreach and education
• advising and advocacy
• support and guidance
• established peer support network for parents and caregivers
• provides list of tutors and sources for assessment
• Reading Rocks program

Member of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) for Upper Grand District School Board and Wellington Catholic District School Board to advise on best practices for teaching people with special needs.

COVID-19 Update: List of resources and supports and virtual services available to Wellington region and chapter members during COVID-19.

Activities of Wellington Chapter:

• helps the community learn about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• conducts special speaker and/or training workshops (topics include advocacy, support and latest news in ASD research)
• works with community partners to promote and enhance awareness about autism
• holds various fundraising events throughout the year
• runs programs and events for individuals with ASD and their families to get involved, socialize and network

Information on all aspects and treatment of breast cancer

• emotional support
• meetings include speakers