Mental Health Hub
Your guide to support, stories, and hope.
Navigating child and youth mental health can bring up a lot of questions. You’re not alone. This space is designed to be your trusted resource—a place to find answers, feel connected, and discover hope.
Here, you’ll find:
News: Stay updated on what’s happening at Lynwood Charlton Centre, from new programs to community events that matter to you.
Resources: Find practical guides and immediate support, like our directory of crisis services and community resources in Hamilton.
Topics: Explore evidence-based information to better understand mental health, break down stigma, and learn about the challenges we specialize in.
Stories: Read real experiences from youth, families, and our team. Because sometimes, the most powerful hope comes from knowing someone else has been there too.
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To connect directly with a counsellor through online video / or voice, go to: onestoptalk.ca or call 1-855-416-8255.
One Stop Talk is a FREE virtual “walk-in” counselling program where children, youth and their families can talk to a clinician by phone, video conference, text and chat without an appointment from anywhere in the province.
One Stop Talk operates Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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Need immediate help?
Call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest Hospital Emergency Room
Call the Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COAST) at 905-972-8338 to speak with a mental health clinician available 24 hours.
Kids Help Phone: 24/7: 1-800-668-6868
Call or text 9-8-8 is available to anyone in Canada who is thinking about suicide or is worried about someone they know. For more information visit 988.ca
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Core Service Providers for Child and Youth Mental Health in Hamilton
Lynwood Charlton Centre
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At Lynwood Charlton Centre, we believe that meaningful change happens when communities come together—not just in moments of crisis, but through sustained, intentional action.
Our Community Campaigns are dedicated, time-focused initiatives designed to rally Hamilton around critical issues affecting child and youth mental health. Each campaign combines awareness, education, and tangible action, offering young people, families, educators, and community members concrete ways to get involved and make a difference.
Be Kind. Help Hope Grow. launched in February 2026 as our first annual anti-bullying campaign. It is the seed.
In the years ahead, new campaigns will emerge—each one rooted in LCC's mission, guided by our core values, and shaped by the voices of the children, youth, and families we serve. From digital wellness to resilience, from inclusion to early intervention, these campaigns will grow alongside our community's evolving needs.
One campaign at a time, we are building a mentally healthier Hamilton—together.
Stay connected. Stay engaged. The next campaign is already growing.
Your Guide to Summer 2026
This guide highlights a variety of 2026 summer programs across the city. From traditional day camps and sports to academic enrichment and paid employment opportunities, there is truly something for every interest and age group.
How to Reduce the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse for Children Under 12
As part of our commitment to the safety and well-being of children and youth, we are sharing an essential resource: "Protecting Your Child: Reduce the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse," from the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
Protecting Children and Youth From Sexual Violence
May is Sexual Assault Prevention Month—a time to raise awareness, challenge harmful attitudes, and commit to building a world where every child and youth can grow up safe.
Come Together Canada
This Mental Health Week, we are joining CMHA in calling our community to come together. And we are sharing facts, resources, and local pathways to turn that call into action—because connection does not just feel good. It is essential.
How “I Care About You” Can Change a Young Person’s Life
May 7 is National Child & Youth Mental Health Day—a day dedicated to creating meaningful connections between young people and the caring adults in their lives. This year’s theme is simple but profound: "I Care About You."
Spring Cleaning for Young Minds: Letting Go of a Fixed Mindset to Grow
This post explores what "spring cleaning for young minds" might look like—through the lens of fixed versus growth mindset, and through age-appropriate practices.
Green Minds: How Nature Heals
Researchers have been studying the connection between time in nature and mental health for decades. The evidence is compelling: nature is not a luxury. It is essential.
How Public Health Supports Children and Youth
*April 7 is World Health Day, and April 7-11 is Canadian Public Health Week. Together, they invite us to ask: what does it mean for a community to be truly healthy—and how does that health shape the young people growing up in it?*
The Invisible Load of Being a Caregiver
Parents. Grandparents. Foster parents. Kinship caregivers. Aunts and uncles. Stepparents. Siblings who step up. Friends who show up. We want to ask you a question that you might not hear often enough: Who is taking care of you?
Reflecting on a Month of Kindness at Lynwood Charlton Centre
This February, we invited our community to join us in something simple but powerful: the Be Kind. Help Hope Grow. campaign. Here's a look back at how we celebrated, learned, and grew together.
Neurodiversity is About Being Different, Not Less
This guide will walk you through what neurodiversity means, how to recognize it, and how to find the support your child and family need to thrive.
How Social Workers Help Families Build a Foundation for Healing
March is Social Work Month in Canada. It's the perfect time to shine a light on this essential profession. But what exactly is a social worker, and how do they differ from other mental health professionals? Let's explore the vital role they play.
How Kindness Benefits Child and Youth Mental Health
This guide explores why kindness is a critical social-emotional skill, how it benefits young people, and provides practical ways for kids, teens, and the adults who support them to cultivate a culture of kindness in daily life.
The Rise of Cyberbullying and How To Protect Yourself Online
This guide is designed to empower kids, teens, and their parents with the knowledge and practical strategies needed to navigate online spaces safely and with resilience.
Anti-Bullying Strategies for Kids, Teens, and Their Parents
This guide provides practical, actionable strategies for children, teenagers, and parents to prevent, address, and recover from bullying.
How Bullying Impacts Child and Youth Mental Health
Bullying isn't a harmless rite of passage. It's a serious relationship problem with profound, long-lasting consequences for mental and physical health.
Managing Your Mental Health While Caring for a Child With Mental Illness
This guide offers a compassionate, evidence-based path for sustaining yourself, because as a parent and caregiver, your mental health is the cornerstone of effective care.
Our Unsung Heroes
January 19 is Educational Assistant and Child and Youth Worker Appreciation Day. It is our annual opportunity to pause and shine a light on the essential, often unsung work of these dedicated professionals.
Taking a Moment for C-H-A-N-G-E
Every January, a vital national conversation takes centre stage in Canada. Bell Let's Talk Day has evolved into a powerful movement dedicated to transforming how our nation views and supports mental health.
Understanding Mental Illness in Children and Youth
Discerning between a passing phase and a sign of something more can be deeply worrying. This guide is designed to empower parents and caregivers as to when and how to get professional help for their child or youth…