Who can use these services?
If you’re a current post-secondary student studying with an Ontario post-secondary institution (including, but not limited to, a college, university, trade school or Indigenous institution), you’re eligible to use Good2Talk’s services. This includes full-time, part-time and international students.
What happens when I call Good2Talk?
After calling Good2Talk at 1-866-925-5454, you’ll be welcomed in English, French and Mandarin and asked to select a language.
You’ll then be connected with a Community Navigator at Good2Talk. Community Navigators support callers by conducting an initial assessment.
Next, you’ll either receive information about support resources nearest you and / or a community-based referral, or be connected with a professional counsellor at Good2Talk.
If you select a language other than English or French, you can also be connected with a professionally trained interpreter in the language of your choice who can help you communicate with a team member at Good2Talk.
Who am I talking to when I call Good2Talk?
When you call Good2Talk at 1-866-925-5454, you’ll first be talking with a Community Navigator. Community Navigators must have a degree in a relevant discipline, have a minimum of three years of experience in the health / human services field and be certified as Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) professionals.
If you’re connected with a counsellor, you’ll be talking with a professional counsellor. Counsellors must have a degree in a relevant discipline, a minimum of three years of applicable work experience and knowledge of telephone counselling and crisis intervention.
All professional team members at Good2Talk must also have Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).
Additionally, if you call Good2Talk and select a language other than English or French, you can also be connected with a professionally trained interpreter in the language of your choice who can help you communicate with a team member at Good2Talk.
Is Good2Talk confidential and anonymous?
Good2Talk is private and confidential. But what does that actually mean?
Your texting conversation with a volunteer crisis responder is confidential. To find out more about what that means, check out Good2Talk’s privacy policy, which includes information on duty to report.
Your phone conversation with a counsellor is private and confidential. To find out more about what that means, check out Good2Talk’s privacy policy, which includes information on duty to report.
What happens when I text Good2Talk?
After texting GOOD2TALKON to 686868, you’ll receive a few automated messages with information about the service and its privacy policy. Next, you’ll be connected to a trained, volunteer crisis responder who you can talk to about any issue, big or small. You can end a conversation with a crisis responder at any time by texting the word STOP. You won’t receive any more messages unless you text again.
Who am I talking to when I text?
When you text Good2Talk, you’ll be talking to a volunteer crisis responder. Crisis responders are trained, dedicated volunteers from across Canada who are passionate about helping young people and are supervised by professional staff.
What if I want to connect with my peers for support anonymously?
If you’re searching for a way to interact with other young people across Canada in a moderated, online environment, the Peer-to-Peer Community at Kids Help Phone may be an option for you. On the platform, youth can explore support forums on topics related to mental health and well-being. Youth can anonymously share experiences, offer inspiration and ask questions to connect, comfort and cheer each other on. To learn more about the forums, including what they are, who can use them, your privacy and more, you can read the Community’s FAQ page.
Who’s paying for these services?
Good2Talk has been funded by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities since 2013.
Will it show up on my phone bill if I call or text?
Depending on your phone carrier, the number may appear on your phone bill. However, the service names Good2Talk or Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone will not appear anywhere on your bill.
Will I have to wait to get support?
The average wait time to connect with a professional counsellor is about 10 minutes. The average wait time to connect with a volunteer crisis responder is about five minutes, with high-risk texts being responded to in under one minute on average. You can check out our other well-being resources while you wait.
What if I’m having trouble accessing the services?
Good2Talk is available to all Ontario post-secondary students. If you have technical difficulties accessing our services, you can let us know using the form on our Contact Us page. You can include as much detail as possible about the technical issue so we can investigate.
While we investigate, you can try connecting with one of our other services for support.
If you need help immediately, you can contact 911 or the emergency / community services nearest you.
Is Good2Talk hiring?
Good2Talk doesn’t post job openings on our website. As Good2Talk is a partnership between four organizations (ConnexOntario, Kids Help Phone, Ontario 211 and The Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions), job vacancies will be posted on these organizations’ websites.
Can campus staff call Good2Talk for mental health support?
Good2Talk provides support to post-secondary students in Ontario. However, we can provide staff, faculty and service providers with information and referral assistance in locating resources for the students they work with.
Can I access support while outside of Canada?
Good2Talk offers support to Ontario post-secondary students who are anywhere in Canada. Good2Talk also has nine toll-free phone numbers for Ontario post-secondary students who are outside of Canada (e.g. who are on break or holiday, completing remote learning, studying abroad, etc.) in China, Hong Kong, France, Germany, India, Italy, South Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom. You can learn more on Good2Talk’s Student Support Abroad Services web page.
