Provincial Government funding secures 1Call1Click as a vital component of our mental health system

Ottawa, Ont., Sept. 25, 2024 – The Kids Come First health team is excited to announce that the Ontario government is investing $2.7 million annually in 1Call1Click. This unique program is more than just a way to connect families with care; it’s a new approach to helping children and youth. By bringing together doctors and mental health professionals from different organizations, 1Call1Click ensures families receive complete support. Plus, by working closely with school boards and placing mental health resources inside schools, we make it easier for families to get the help they need when they need it. Together, we’re changing how mental health services are delivered - making it simpler for every child to succeed and feel supported. 

Launched in 2021, 1Call1Click is a first in Canada as it brings together thousands of clinicians from more than two dozen youth mental health and addiction agencies to work as one team to support kids and families who need mental health care. Supported by leading-edge data and clinical approaches, 1Call1Click has helped more than 20,000 young people access resources and support. Where youth, parents, physicians and other caregivers used to have to refer young people to multiple organizations – or try to figure out how best to access care – 1Call1Click not only offers one place to go, but also the confidence that providers are working together to make sure patients get the right care from the right organization. 

"When things get tough,1Call1Click is a straightforward way to connect with experts who can help children, youth, and families when they need it most. Families have shared how valuable our services are, especially when it comes to coordinating different types of support,” says Sue Kennedy, Executive Director, The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families. 

"Our government is making record investments in the health and well-being of our children,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “As part of our government’s $330 million investment to pediatric care, we are investing $2.7 million annually in 1Call1Click in partnership with CHEO, to increase access to youth mental health care and support, where and when they need it.”  

“Addressing the mental health crisis in our youth takes a community-first approach,” said Alex Munter, CHEO president and CEO and co-chair of the Kids Come First Steering Committee. “By bringing together partners across the region, we can bring more care to more families more quickly. Thank you to the Ontario Government for supporting kids and families in our community by making this new and innovative service part of our local mental health care system. With its annual funding, the 1Call1Click initiative will keep building partnerships and expanding its support network. This means helping connect individuals with the services they need, coordinating care for children and youth with complex needs, offering peer support for families, and bringing together even more clinical services."

1Call1Click.ca is a bilingual service designed to match children, youth and families living in eastern Ontario with the right mental health and addiction services, at the right time. An initiative of the Kids Come First Health Team, 1Call1Click.ca is the first of its kind in Ontario and brings together local providers of child and youth mental health and addiction services. Visit 1Call1Click.ca to learn more and book an appointment.

Supported by the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Kids Come First Health Team includes over 70 organizations, family and youth partners, nearly 1,100 physicians, and many other individuals including children, youth, and families. We connect high-quality care for children and youth in the Champlain region to simplify their health-care journey across the health and social system, providing them with easy access to the right care, at the right time, in the right place.