A big part of your overall health is your mental health. Our Public Health team is dedicated to keeping you safe and healthy, which includes supporting your mental well-being and connecting you to resources to maintain positive mental health.
Mental health needs to be taken care of the same as physical health. While mental health challenges can feel overwhelming at times, rest assured that they are common and that there are ways to improve your overall mental well-being.
Mental Health Week 2025
During the first week of May, the Canadian Mental Health Organization (external link) and Halton Region Public Health are encouraging everyone to look beyond the surface and see the whole person.
This year’s theme is ‘There’s More to Me’, which is focused on Unmasking Mental Health. Masking is hiding or suppressing something about ourselves, emotions, personality traits, behaviours, or symptoms, from others. People mask for a lot of different reasons, including social acceptance, economic necessity and sometimes, fear. Unfortunately, people with mental illnesses and addictions often feel the need to mask to keep a job, find housing, or simply be accepted.
Mental health is a spectrum and there are many degrees of mental wellness. Many people with mental illness can have positive mental well-being, while others may feel that day-to-day life is a struggle. We know that there are people living with mental health challenges who mask it or hide it to avoid judgement or stigma.
How to improve and maintain positive mental health
Speak openly with others: help reduce the stigma by talking with others about mental health without judgement.
Take steps to take care for your own mental health: follow our tips to take care of yourself, like a daily routine, sleep, exercise and social connections.
Get help when you need it & support others in getting help: we’ve listed some resources below to help you access additional support when needed.
Where to get help in Halton
Our Mental Health page is a great resource to find services that are the best fit for you or your loved one. There’s also tips to take care of your mental health and helpful resources you can use!
If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis, please contact a 24/7 help line below:
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline (external link):
Call 9-8-8 for crisis support anywhere in Canada.
Kids Help Phone (external link):
Call 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868 to start a confidential conversation.
Crisis Outreach and Support Team (external link):
Call 1-877-825-9011 to speak with a trained mental health crisis worker.
Reach Out Centre for Kids (external link):
Call 905-878-9785 to access support for youth under the age of 17.
To learn more about Mental Health Week, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association’s website (external link). Thank you for doing your part to take care of your own mental health, support others, and reduce the stigma in Halton.