Strongest Families Institute (SFI) is an award-winning charity grounded in 20 years of social science research offering evidence-based, bilingual mental health services for children, youth, adults, and their families. SFI’s scientifically proven distance services improve mental health and well-being by leveraging the advantages of best science, our highly skilled para-professional telephone coaches, and our innovative technology (IRIS).
Our programs
Currently, our bilingual programs offer skills to help people manage the following common challenges:
- Behaviour (3-12-year-olds)
- Anxiety (6- 18+-year-olds)
- Bedwetting (5-12-year-olds)
- Recurrent Headache and Abdominal Pain (9-16-year-olds)
Are these programs a good fit for me or my family?
Children, youth, adults, and families can benefit from the skills and support offered by our programs, but if you’re wondering if they might be right for you, keep reading! We’ve put together a quick summary of how to know if SFI’s free programs are a fit for you or your family’s needs. If any of the following statements apply to you, do reach out. Help is just a phone call away!
You and/or your family have a busy schedule
We understand that one of the biggest barriers to care can often be simply finding the time to engage in programs. We know that managing work, school, activities, mealtimes, social life, and housework leaves little time for most people to be able to prioritize their own care.
That’s why we’ve ensured that our services are delivered in the comfort and privacy of your own home at convenient times. Our program materials are available in hard copy or online, and the distance delivery model means geography nor time are barriers when accessing our services. The visual anonymity afforded by our distance delivery model provides privacy for clients, reducing stigma.
You’ve encountered barriers to care when you’ve sought support in the past
We know that accessing help is not easy. We exist to help change that. We complement the current system by bridging the access gap.
We remove barriers to care by:
- Offering flexible coaching support at times convenient to you. People of all ages who complete our programs report very strong relationships with their telephone support coach.
- Our programs are delivered in the comfort and privacy of your own home. This means you don’t have to travel anywhere, miss time from work or school.
- Services are available in French & English
- Programs are FREE. We know that access to support can often be inhibited by affordability. Thanks to the support of our sponsors and donors and government partners, we have the ability to make care available at no cost.
Please visit our ‘How to Refer’ page for specifics about program availability by region.
You or someone in your family is a member of the Military
Canadian Military families certainly face unique challenges and transitions that may lead to feelings of anxiety or stress that others may not easily understand. That’s why we’ve ensured that all our staff are trained in military cultural competencies. With support from the Military Family Services Ottawa, RBC Foundation, and the True Patriot Love Foundation, SFI is honoured to provide services to military and Veteran Families across Canada.
Our Coaches are trained to help families prepare for transitions such as deployments, postings, training courses, and reintegration. We can help equip your family with strategies to cope with change. In collaboration with Military Family Resource Centers across Canada, access to services is as easy as a call to your local MFRC, contacting SFI directly at 1-866-470-7111 or visiting our Availability Map.
You want to add new, positive parenting skills to your toolkit
Are you a parent of young children who feels they could benefit from additional positive parenting skills? We have programs for you, too! Our Parents Empowering Kids and Parents Empowering Kids—The Early Years programs are probably exactly what you’re looking for.
The Parents Empowering Kids program (PEK) (ages 3-12) helps caregivers learn to deal with significant disruptive behaviour patterns such as temper outbursts, not listening, verbal and physical aggression, and difficulties paying attention. You will learn skills to manage challenging behaviours and situations, reduce arguments and parent stress, strengthen relationships and empower your child for a successful future. By equipping parents with our skills early in a child’s life we can prevent behaviour disorders from occurring. Parents who complete our program report increased confidence as a parent, ability to cope with stressful situations in a positive way and stronger family relationships when everyone is on the same page. To find out if our programs are available to you in your region, go to
Are you ready?
Are you ready to reach out for support? Accessing our programs is easy! In most cases, it is just a simple phone call away. To learn more about where to call in your province, navigate to our Contact US page and here you will have two options! Visit our interactive map where you can put in your community and find a contact number, or navigate to your province and review the available numbers in your area.