Free mental-health supports are available 24 hours a day for B.C. post-secondary students who may be coping with anxiety, depression and other concerns.

Here2Talk is a virtual counselling service that provides immediate mental-health support to students via the Here2Talk app, over the phone or through online chat.

Here2Talk supports overall well-being and mental health by providing students with the following:

• 24/7 support: Confidential emotional support, including crisis intervention, available night and day via phone and chat.
• Experienced professionals: Access to counsellors who have experience dealing with the common challenges faced by students.
• No appointment needed: Call in or start a chat via the app or website.
• Free to students: Access to professional mental-health and well-being support at no additional charge for students currently registered with a B.C. post-secondary institution.

The service is available to all part-time and full-time students registered in a public or private B.C. college, university, institute or trades program, whether they are in Canada or abroad. It aims to supplement any services students may already be accessing through their school or community.

Here2Talk provides counselling and support services upon request in various languages, such as French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Spanish and Arabic.

Since its April 2020 launch to July 2023, services have been accessed approximately 32,000 times. Seventy-three per cent of students said the service provided them with the support and tools they needed, while 65% said they would refer their friend or classmate to the service. Seventy-two per cent of students said the service improved their situation.

Additional resources are available to children and youth through Kids Help Phone. The organization provides counselling, referral and support for children and youth under 20. Professional counsellors are available to provide immediate and caring support to young people who are dealing with a problem, making a hard decision or concerned with feelings or mood. The service is free, confidential, anonymous and available 24 hours a day.

Learn More:

Chat sessions with a trained counsellor can be accessed by downloading the Here2Talk app or visiting: https://here2talk.ca/main

• Students can speak to a counsellor by phone, toll-free at 1 877 857-3397 or direct at 604 642-5212.
• Students calling from outside Canada can dial 1 604 642-5212 (international calling charges may apply).
• Kids Help Phone can be reached at 1 800 668-6868.

Kids Help Phone – Live Chat Counselling is available online in British Columbia, Wednesday to Sunday, from 3 p.m. until 11 p.m. (Pacific time): https://kidshelpphone.ca/live-chat-counselling/