Help and resources
Helplines and referral services
Emergencies
- For emergencies, call 9-1-1 immediately.
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Situations of mistreatment
- Elder Mistreatment Helpline
The “Elder Mistreatment Helpline”, is a provincial helpline and referral service that specializes in mistreatment. It provides services for the general public and for professionals and educators who work in the field of mistreatment.
Services are provided in French and English (an interpreting service is available for some languages on request)
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 7 days a week. - Travailleurs de milieu dans le cadre du programme des initiatives de travail de milieu auprès des aînés en situation de vulnérabilité (ITMAV) (in French only)
Community workers identify older adults in vulnerable situations or at risk of frailty in order to break their isolation, promote their autonomy and keep them in their community. - Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)
1 877 525-0337 Financial Markets Authority assists consumers of financial products and protects them, for example, in matters of insurance, investment or financial fraud. It also provides information on the prevention of financial mistreatment of older adults and provides training to its members on the subject.
Some information is available in English. - Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ)
1 800 361-6477
The mission is to promote and uphold human rights and freedoms pursuant to the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. It also ensures compliance with the Act respecting equal access to employment in public bodies.
Some information is available in English.
Services available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Info-Social
8-1-1
The Info-Social 811 service provides advice and answers questions on psychosocial issues. If necessary, Info-Social 811 professionals can also refer the person to an appropriate resource in the health and social services network or to a community resource. Anyone who lives in Québec can call Info-Social 811 for themselves or a family member.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Services are provided in French and English. - Centre de prévention du suicide
(in French only)
1 866 APPELLE (277-3553)
Suicide prevention centres are staffed by professionals, qualified support workers and volunteers who are trained to respond to all requests for assistance and answer questions.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Services are provided in French only.
Resource for domestic abuse victims
- S.O.S. violence conjugale
(in French only)
1 800 363-9010
SOS violence conjugale provides intake, assessment, information, awareness raising, support and referral services to victims of domestic abuse and anyone concerned by this issue. Services are bilingual, free, anonymous and confidential.
Services are available by telephone, by TTY for people who are deaf or by email.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Services are provided in French and English.
Resource for crime victims
- Sexual assaults - Toll-free helpline
1 888 933-9007
The sexual assault helpline provides listening, information and referral services for sexual assault victims, their families and friends and care providers. Services are free and confidential.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Services are provided in French and English.
- Centres d'aide aux victimes d'actes criminels (CAVAC)
1 866 LE CAVAC (532-2822)
Crime victims assistance centres provide front-line services to crime victims and their families and friends as well as to witnesses of crimes.
Some information is available in English. - Centres d'aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel (CALACS)
1 877 717-5252
Sexual assault centres aim to eradicate sexual abuse. They provide assistance directly to victims and their family and friends and support them in any steps they undertake. They also run prevention, awareness raising and training activities and engage in rights advocacy.
Some information is available in English. - Indemnisation des victimes d'actes criminels (IVAC)
The Direction de l’IVAC’s mandate is to provide compensation to crime victims and rescuers. - Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP)
(in French only)
418 643-4085 Information is available in French only.
List of chief prosecutors
Resource related to sexual diversity and gender identity
- Interligne
1 888 505-1010
Interligne is a front-line centre that provides help and information to people concerned with sexual diversity and gender plurality. Services are free, confidential and professional.
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Services are provided in French and English.
Resources for caregivers of older adults
- Info-aidant
1 855 852-7784
Info-aidant is a professional, confidential, free helpline for people who provide care to older adults and their families and friends as well as for health care providers and professionals.
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Services are provided in French and English. - L’Appui pour les proches aidants d’aînés
L’Appui pour les proches aidants d’aînés helps improve the quality of life of those providing care to older adults and makes their day-to-day life easier.
Resources for users of the health and social services network
- Integrated health and social services centres (CISSS) and integrated university health and social services centres (CIUSSS)
The CISSS) and CIUSSS ensure the accessibility, continuity and quality of services for people in their territory. They are reference points where people can go if they have health or psychosocial problems. They will receive appropriate services there or be directed to another resource in the territorial services network. - Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner
The Commissioner receives and examines complaints regarding care and services received in the health and social services network. Any network user who believes their rights have not been respected or who is not satisfied with the services they received may express their dissatisfaction or file a complaint. - Centres d'assistance et d'accompagnement aux plaintes (CAAP)
1 877 767-2227
Complaints assistance and support centres. Toll-free line for all regions in Québec. - Conseil pour la protection des malades
1 877 CPM-AIDE (276-2433)
The Conseil’s mission is to promote and defend the rights of users of the health and social services network in order to empower them and improve the quality of services. - Coordonnateurs régionaux spécialisés en matière de lutte contre la maltraitance (in French only)
The aim of the 18 regional coordinators deployed in each of Québec’s regions is to promote and support collaboration between the actors involved in the fight against mistreatment. - Regroupement provincial des comités des usagers du réseau de la santé et des services sociaux
The Regroupement’s mission is to defend and protect the rights of users of the health and social services network by supporting users’ and residents’ committees in fulfilling their mission. - Protecteur du citoyen
1 800 463-5070
The Ombudsman ensures that citizens’ rights are upheld by ministries, government organizations, institutions in the health and social services network and correctional facilities. To do so, the Ombudsman examines citizens’ complaints against the State and makes recommendations to correct errors and injustices that may have been committed.
Police services
- Bottin des services de police
(page in French)
The Québec police services directory, which also includes indigenous and other types of police services, can be used to quickly find police organizations in Québec.
Resource in the event of incapacity
- Curateur public du Québec
1 844 LECURATEUR (532-8278)
The Curateur public ensures the protection of people who have been placed under public tutorship or curatorship. It also provides support to families and loved ones who are representing a person under tutorship or curatorship or who are members of a tutorship council. It ensures that decisions are made are in the interest of the person who is represented and in a manner that respects their rights and maintains their autonomy.
Other resources
- Office des personnes handicapées du Québec
(in French only)
1 800 567-1465
1 800 567-1477 (teletypewriter)
The Office’s mission is to ensure compliance with the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration and to ensure that organizations continue their efforts with respect to the social participation of people with disabilities. Its functions include promotion, coordination, counseling and assessment. It also informs, advises, assists and makes representations on behalf of people with disabilities and their families, both on an individual and a collective basis. - Office de la protection du consommateur du Québec
1 888 672-2556
The Office de la protection du consommateur oversees the application of the acts under its responsibility. It informs consumers individually and collectively, educates them and receives their complaints. It also promotes collaboration among market actors. - Research Chair on Mistreatment of Older Adults
info@maltraitancedesaines.com
The Research Chair aims to increase knowledge that will enable us to better understand and combat mistreatment. - Chaire de recherche Antoine-Turmel sur la protection juridique des aînés
(in French only)
The Research Chair’s mission is to promote and support research, training and the dissemination of knowledge on the rights of older adults in order to protect and uphold their autonomy.