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A National Indian Residential School Crisis Line has been set up to provide support for former Residential School students. You can access emotional and crisis referral services by calling 24-Hour National Crisis Line:
1-866-925-4419
The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program (IRS RHSP) provides mental health and emotional support services to eligible former Indian Residential School students and their families throughout all phases of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement, including:
Resolution Health Support Program Services are safe, confidential, respectful, and non-judgmental.
All former Indian Residential School students, regardless of the individual's status or place of residence within Canada, who attended an Indian Residential School listed in the 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement are eligible to receive services from the Resolution Health Support Program.
In recognition of the intergenerational impacts that the Indian Residential Schools had on families, Resolution Health Support Program services are also available to family members of former Indian Residential Schools students. The family of former students is defined as:
Health Canada verifies eligibility of persons requesting IRS RHSP services with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, which holds data on former students who attended those Indian Residential Schools that are part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
Please contact the Resolution Health Support Program Regional Office in your Province or Territory.
When you call the Health Canada regional office, they will request your name and date of birth in order to confirm that you are eligible to access services under the Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program. If you are a family member of a former student, the name and date of birth of the family member who attended residential school will be required to confirm your eligibility.
Once eligibility is confirmed, the Health Canada official will work with you to arrange the health support services you have requested.