The following resources are available to the high performance sport community for effective support and intervention.
Confidential Phone Counselling Support
Canadian athletes travel the world to train and compete, so professional help is not always available in-person or immediately when an athlete needs it most. That’s why the Canadian Olympic Committee, in partnership with Morneau Sheppell, offers national team athletes who are registered with the Canadian Sport Institute Network access to free and confidential phone counselling. Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and toll-free for athletes training or competing abroad. For more detailed information about this program, members of the high performance sport community are encouraged to inquire directly with the Canadian Olympic Committee or the Canadian Sport Institute.
Education and Training
Crisis Intervention Resources
National
- Distress and Information Line: (no area code) 310 6789
- Schizophrenia Society of Canada: 1-800-263-5545
- Canadian Mental Health Association
- Canadian Psychological Association
- Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
- Schizophrenia Society of Canada
- Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada
- Self Help Connection
- Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention
British Columbia
- Healthlink, dial 811
- Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division, 1-800-555-8222
- BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information
- BC Mental Health and Addictions Services, 604-524-7000
- BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, 1-800-909-6303
- College of Psychologists of BC, 604-730-0522
- Counselling BC604-729-6059
- Mood Disorders Association of BC, 604-873-0103
- Anxiety Disorders Association of BC, 604-525-7566
- Changeways Clinic, 604-525-7566
- Helping Overcome Psychosis Early (HOPE) Vancouver Coastal Heath
- SAFER Counselling Services (suicide awareness): 604-675-3985
Saskatchewan
- Resources coming soon
Ontario
- Ontario Psychological Association
- The College of Psychologists of Ontario
- Addiction Ontario, 1-800-565-8603
- Mental Health Helpline, 1-866-531-2600
- Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychiatrists and Psychotherapists, 416-298-7333
- Mood disorders association of Ontario, 416-486-8046
- Anxiety disorders association of Ontario, 613-729-6761
Nova Scotia
- Mental Health Crisis Line: 1-888-429-8167 (toll free)
- Physician Information Line: (902) 424-3047 or toll free at 1-877-731-1931
For non-emergency health info: Call 811 - College of Physicians & Surgeons of Nova Scotia
- Family Physicians Accepting New Patients
- Department of Health and Wellness
- Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia
- Addiction Services
- Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia
- Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists
New Brunswick
- College of Physicians & Surgeons of New Brunswick
- GNB Mental Health Services
- GNB Addiction Services
- Schizophrenia Society of New Brunswick
- College of Psychologists of New Brunswick
- New Brunswick Association of Counselling Therapists
- For a list of Certified Counselling Therapists in NB
- University of New Brunswick Saint John Counselling Services
- University of New Brunswick Counselling Services (Students Only), 506-453-4820
- Mount Allison University Counselling Services, 506-364-2163
- Joan Wright and Associates (For non-students in the Fredericton region), (506) 454-7430
Event Description
Joanna (Jo) Irvine, Registered Dietitian, obtained her undergraduate degree in nutrition from the UBC and is also a graduate of the specialized Sport Nutrition program from the International Olympic Committee. Over the past several years she has been working with the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific providing nutrition support to a variety of teams including Canada Soccer, Cycling Canada, and Swimming Canada to help optimize athletes’ performance during both training and competition. Aside from her passion for work and drive to stay current with sport nutrition research, Jo enjoys being active and outdoors with her very energetic family.
Born in Vancouver, Canada, Sean Hayes was a competitive ski racer in his early teens. He brought his love of sports to the streets, where he picked up a skateboard and landed his first sponsor at 16. Sean traveled the world competing and doing demonstrations, as well being featured in many magazine interviews and cover shots. His keen interest in sports led him to enroll in the Sports Science program at Douglas College while recovering from a surgery. During this time he also took on the role Team Manager for DC Shoes (canada). 
Danelle holds a PhD in Social Psychology and an MA in Sport Psychology from The University of Ottawa, as well as BSc in Psychology and a BA in French from the University of Washington. For her doctorate, Danelle looked at how coaches and athletes communicate about training in endurance sport and how such communication affects athletes’ self-determined motivation. 
Currently In her fourth year as the Canadian Sport School Victoria Lead Coach, Jennifer has a strong coaching background that involves working with athletes at various levels: Youth, NCAA, CIS, Professional, and Olympic including a NCAA and World Champion. She has a BA from the University of California at Berkeley where she double-majored in American Studies and French while competing in NCAA Division I Track & Field. Her passion is working with high school and young elite athletes to help give them a strong foundation for success at the next level.
Sharleen has been supporting elite and aspiring performers through her work as a mental performance consultant for 20 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from University of Waterloo and a Masters of Science in Applied Sport Psychology from University of Idaho before completing her Doctorate in Sport & Exercise Psychology from the University of British Columbia. Sharleen is a professional member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association.
Ethan Carmichael Denum, 19, of Coquitlam, BC, passed away surrounded by family and friends on Saturday January 7, 2017, after a year-long battle with cancer. As a baby, he was eager to make an appearance and entered the world seven weeks early on January 29, 1997, at Royal Columbian Hospital. He had a short, but meaningful and accomplished life. If he wasn’t at the pool playing or refereeing water polo, he could be found travelling the world with his family, playing his favourite video games, eating or cooking in someone’s kitchen, or filling screens with an endless number of witty posts on social media. Perhaps his most notable accomplishment was the network of good friends he nurtured, many of whom the Denums consider family. We will miss his extra big hugs, fierce loyalty, positive attitude, and his unlimited capacity to love – this, above all, was his greatest gift.
After spending 13 years as a competitive short track speed skater and seven years as a competitive soccer player, Natalie is no stranger to the world of high performance sport. In addition, she also has experience in the world of athlete career transitions. With a Master’s Degree in Athletic Counselling as well as several years of field and firsthand knowledge, Natalie brings a winning combination of personal passion and professional expertise to Game Plan.
Melissa is a graduate of Mercyhurst University of Erie, Pennsylvania where she completed her Masters in Exercise Science and Athletic Therapy. While completing her Master’s, she led the Division I Mercyhurst University women’s ice hockey team throughout her four years. During her graduate studies she worked as an assistant athletic therapist for a variety of varsity teams at the University including: Division II Men’s Basketball, Women’s Field Hockey, and the Men’s and Women’s Rowing Crews.
Rebecca graduated from the Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics program at Monsah University (Melbourne, AUS) in 2010, and following this successfully completed the Sports Dietitians Australia course in 2011. Rebecca is also a graduate of the International Olympic Committee Diploma of Sport Nutrition. Following her education, she completed a 2 year sports nutrition fellowship at the Australian Institute of Sport from 2014 to 2016, and it was after this that Rebecca brought her expertise to Canada.