Indigenous women's help line expands across Ontario

YorkRegion.com
October 11, 2018
Canadian Press

A help line to promote the mental health and well-being of Indigenous women that was previously available only in Northern Ontario is being expanded across the province.

The Talk4Healing help line provides 24-hour telephone, text and chat services and will be available starting Oct. 19 to more than 129,000 Indigenous women throughout Ontario.

The confidential help line staffed by Indigenous women can be reached at 1-855-554-4325.

Talk4Healing is operated by Beendigen, an agency that provides shelter to Aboriginal women and children experiencing violence, as well as programs and services to individuals and families.

Beendigen and the Ontario Native Women's Association say Talk4Healing offers services in 13 Indigenous languages as well as English.

The help line received nearly 2,000 calls from Aboriginal women in northern Ontario communities in the last year alone.

In January, the Ontario government committed $500,000 annually to support the help line's expansion.