Findhelp is deepening its role in Ontario’s Gender-Based Violence Crisis Lines Initiative (CLI), supported by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). Working closely with many partners, we advanced crisis response, expanded access to services, and improved supports across the province.
In addition to the many calls and chats received through the Victim Support Line and Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse lines, more than 31,000 people accessed the Victim Support Directory (VSD) website, a 19% increase from the previous year. In response, we focused on enhancing training, service quality, and sector collaboration to better meet these evolving needs.
Our progress this year can be seen in several key areas:
- Expanding access: The redesigned Victim Support Directory now includes more than 16,000 English and French listings, with increased access to services for Black and Indigenous communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, Francophones, newcomers, older adults, youth, and survivors with disabilities.
- Building Capacity: Twenty training events were delivered, including new modules on crisis response, reconciliation, and male survivor support. More than 55 staff completed training, and a new Learning Management Centre was launched to support ongoing learning across the province.
- Enhancing services: Dedicated supports for male survivors were introduced, including new VSD content, specialized training, and protocols to offer follow-up calls tailored to survivors’ readiness.
- Strengthening partnerships: through the Provincial Crisis Line (PCL) collaboration, Findhelp contributed to shared commitments around vision, values, data integration, and helping to create a more coordinated provincial response. This couldn’t be possible without our partners Beendigen, Assaulted Women’s Helpline, Centre Victoria pour Femmes, Maison d’Amitié, and Oasis Centre des femmes.
These efforts reflect a system-wide commitment to putting survivors first. One caller shared with a navigator, “You saved my life! I know this is just your job, but your help means more than you will ever know.” Stories like this remind us why we must continue to innovate, collaborate, and centre equity and accessibility in everything we do.
Looking ahead, Findhelp will keep building on this progress — advancing digital tools like the Victim Support Directory, exploring new AI applications, deepening commitments to Truth and Reconciliation and equity, and expanding collaborative projects with MCCSS and partners.
Together, we are shaping a stronger, more responsive ecosystem of gender-based violence in Ontario.