Sexual Health FAQ
How can we help you? Listed below are frequently asked questions about Sexual health services at HQ Toronto.
- If you have OHIP, you MUST bring your OHIP card.
- If you do not have OHIP but have coverage in another province, you MUST bring that provincial health card.
- If you have additional health coverage like UHIP (university and colleges) or IFH please bring this with you.
- If you do not have health coverage in Canada, please bring a piece of legal ID (this can be a passport, a visa, or another piece of identification with your photo and legal name).
- Please bring your mobile phone (we will be asking you to verify your email and cellphone number at your first visit).
- Please bring with you a list of your medications.
At HQ the population we serve include trans and non-binary individuals and cis guys into guys. For cis-gender heterosexuals there are other services for sexual health in Toronto that provide services for you:
At your first visit you'll register in our electronic medical record system and fill out some basic information on our tablets about your health, sexual practices and medical history. You'll meet with one of our sexual health team to review your history as well as confirm all of your demographics. Then you'll be able to complete either testing or treatment at the same visit as needed. While first visits may take a little longer (20 minutes or so) this allows us to set you up with HQ so your next visits can be done through our kiosk and self-testing systems.
We operate on a walk-in basis. Just come to the clinic and we will be happy to see you. You may be given follow-up appointments to return to the clinic for some of your care (like HIV care, PrEP and PEP follow-up).
There are multiple places in Toronto to get anonymous HIV testing. At HQ we do not offer anonymous testing or treatment.
Yes! We are happy to see you at HQ. All of our sexual health testing and treatment is available free of charge however you must bring your OHIP card if you have one in order to access services at HQ. For individuals with no OHIP who want to access PEP or PrEP there may be some small charges from the outpatient labs that process your liver and kidney function tests.
Yes! Our team has extensive experience in HIV-related care and will be able to help with your HIV treatment. We will also be able to help get you into either HIV primary care or to see an HIV specialist for your ongoing care.
Results for common STBBI's like HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are typically ready within 1 business day when tests are dropped off at the lab. If you visit the clinic in the late afternoon or evening, expect your results by the next business day. For Friday visits, results will be available on Monday.
For positive syphilis results, these will be sent to public health for confirmation and staging. If you have had syphilis in the past, we do not do your screen in our lab at HQ as we know it will be positive, it is sent directly to public health for the confirmatory testing, this usually takes 2-3 days.
At HQ we have our own diagnostic lab, so in most situations, we can give you the results of an HIV test within 24 hours. However, on very rare occasions, there may be situations where we need to send your bloodwork to the public health lab for confirmatory testing, in which case it may take longer for us to let you know your test results.
Yes, we are happy to see you and do an assessment or testing as is clinically indicated. Please let the front desk know when you are coming that you are worried you have monkeypox so we can make sure to take the proper precautions in the clinic.
Mpox vaccines are not currently being provided through HQ and are available from public health in Toronto
In general, we would recommend testing every 30 to 90 days for most people. If you have tested with us in the last 30 days and need to come back for testing again, you'll be asked to speak to one of our clinicians who can help determine what tests you may need.
If your prescriber has access to the Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS), you can get your testing done at HQ. If your provider does not have OLIS access, to get results you will need to come back to the clinic to get paper copies to give to your provider.
Mental Health FAQ
How can we help you? Listed below are frequently asked questions about Mental health services at HQ Toronto.
- If you have OHIP, you MUST bring your OHIP card.
- If you do not have OHIP but have coverage in another province, you MUST bring that provincial health card.
- If you have additional health coverage like UHIP (university and colleges) or IFH please bring this with you.
- If you do not have health coverage in Canada, please bring a piece of legal ID (this can be a passport, a visa, or another piece of identification with your photo and legal name).
- Please bring your mobile phone (we will be asking you to verify your email and cellphone number at your first visit).
- Please bring with you a list of your medications.
We offer a stepped-care approach to matching cis guys into guys and all trans and non-binary people. Stepped-care aims to provide the right care at the right time for each individual, with the goal of getting the effective intensity of care faster. This model includes the following mental health supports, determined on an individual basis:
- Service navigation support (see Care Coordination)
- Self-Help Resources (see Mental Health Resource List)
- Mental Health Treatment Groups (see Group Services)
- Psychiatric Consultation (see Mental Health Assessment Services)
No referral is required to access most mental health programming.
For those who have primary care providers, we appreciate referrals for our services. This allows for better communication between our services and your existing team.
For psychiatric consultation (diagnosis and medication questions), we do require a referral from a primary care provider. Our consultative services are time limited and therefore we rely on community providers to support your care in the long term. For those without primary care, we are happy to support your efforts to find an informed provider.
We offer 2 forms of consultative services:
- Referrals to our Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) to assist in treatment planning and matching at HQ
- Referrals for consultative services for clarification of diagnosis and medication advice
HQ Toronto uses a combination of self-assessment and clinician assessment to determine the most appropriate level of care.
HQ Toronto will support our clients in connecting with other services if we do not offer the recommended treatment.
Outside of participation of our psychotherapy programs, we may arrange for time-limited follow-up, however we are not able to provide ongoing psychiatric care.
We offer limited intensive individual therapy as part of our Stage 3 treatments including for those in our full Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) program and Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (individual sessions + weekly skills group). For those who complete group programming and who may benefit from additional individual support we rely on referrals to community partners. There is no direct referral to Stage 3 treatment groups.
Please complete and fax the following referral form.
We are unable to provide ongoing care for all clients who access our programming. Outside of participation of our psychotherapy programs, we may arrange for time-limited follow-up, however we are not able to provide ongoing psychiatric care.
When you visit us for the first time, you will meet with one of our Mental Health team members for a tour of our facility and have an opportunity to discuss your goals and begin self-assessment. This is with the goal to connect you to the appropriate level of care within our programming. We do not offer individual walk-in counselling.
We recognize that our mental health journeys are not static and that some days are harder than others. If at any point during your participation with our programming, we meet on a day of crisis we are glad to offer 1:1 support in determining the next best step for your recovery. If you are ever immediate crisis, we recommend that you make it to your nearest emergency room or call 911.
We do not offer support with housing. For those with concerns about housing, we provide recommendations to community partners who specialize in housing support.
Our team is committed to support our clients with support with service navigation. This can include single session discussions and/or a mental health planning group. We do not offer intensive case management.
There are no costs associated with accessing our mental health services. This is true even for those without Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage.
For those seen in psychiatric consultation who are recommended a medication treatment or services provided by partner agencies, we do not have funds to pay for this through our organization and rely on existing programs (The Ontario Drug Benefit program (ODB), The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), workplace insurance, etc.).
In general, we would recommend testing every 30 to 90 days for most people. If you have tested with us in the last 30 days and need to come back for testing again, you'll be asked to speak to one of our clinicians who can help determine what tests you may need.
Currently, all first stage/introductory groups are offered in the evening. Stage 2 and 3 groups will be offered at different times and days based on provider availability. We recognize that some groups may only be offered at a date and time which can make it difficult to schedule. We are happy write a letter for an employer to support accessing treatment. Over time, the clinic will eventually have Saturday hours. Please check our website for updates to our operating hours.
There is no waitlist to come in-person to visit our facility and begin self-assessment. We endeavor to keep the wait for stage 1/introduction groups to no longer than 2 weeks. If the wait is longer, we will inform you after self-assessment. Waitlists exist for all other programming and fluctuate. For those recommended to these programs we will inform regarding current waitlist duration.
We encourage open communication between our team and your primary care provider, as well as any other providers supporting your mental health (ex. other therapists). When accessing care at HQ we consider your primary care provider part of your circle of care unless otherwise specified. For those requesting psychiatric consultation, we have an obligation to send our recommendations to the referral source.
Social Programming- General
How can we help you? Listed below are frequently asked questions about Social Programming- General at HQ Toronto.
HQ Toronto is centrally located in downtown, near Bay, College, and Queen's Park stations. Spanning 10,000 sq. ft. on the 8th floor of 790 Bay, it offers room for future growth. HQ provides a welcoming, sex-positive, and inclusive space for cis men, trans, and non-binary individuals, offering person-centered services regardless of HIV status.
Underground paid parking is available for visitors at 790 Bay Street. College Park also has underground public parking available.
- Masks:
As of June 11, 2022, provincial mask requirements have been lifted in most public settings, including:
- social gatherings and organized public events
- retail settings
- personal care services
- restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments
- places of worship
- public transit
You should continue to wear a mask if you feel it is right for you
masks will be optional for all staff, members, and visitors of HQ Toronto in accordance with recommendations given by the Ontario Ministry of Health.
Please note there are some instances where masks will still be required:
- Everyone will be required to wear masks at HQ Toronto when the COVID-19 Community Level is high.
HQ Toronto recognizes that some staff and visitors may prefer to continue wearing a mask indoors, and we support this decision, and we will continue to have masks available for staff and visitors who may need them or who may prefer to wear them.
- Physical Distancing:
HQ Toronto is currently limiting the number of attendees at in-person programs so that attendees can physically distance at tables.
- Food and Drink:
You are welcome to bring water with you to programs but we ask that you do not bring other food or beverages into meeting rooms unless it is medically necessary for you to do so.
- Vaccination:
All HQ staff and in-person facilitators have received the COVID-19 vaccination.
- Sanitizing:
Hand sanitizer will be provided at all HQ Toronto events and tables are wiped down with a disinfectant before and after programs.
- The 790 Bay Street building has elevators on both the left- and right-hand sides of the building to access programming, Express HIV/STBBI testing and Mental health services taking place on the eighth-floor suite 820.
- There is a gender-neutral restroom located on the to the eighth floor.
- There are changing tables in all restrooms.
- For additional accommodations, please reach out to us at info@hqtoronto.ca
HQ Toronto is dedicated to reducing paper waste at events and programs by eliminating paper handouts.
- If handouts are needed, please bring a mobile device for electronic copies, print your own, or inform staff in advance to request a printed copy.
- Any paper used by HQ is tree-free and recyclable.
- We encourage bringing your own printed name tags for events.
Sign up for our newsletter at hqtoronto.ca by scrolling to the "Get updates" section at the bottom of the page. You'll start receiving our monthly newsletter in your inbox.
Yes! A few of HQ event spaces are installed with a ventilation system where ceremonial smoke use is permitted.
You may cancel your request and submit a new one by contacting the operations lead at bookings@hqtoronto.ca
Please contact the Operations Manager for the access code once you arrive on site.
All booking requests will receive email confirmation - your booking is not complete without this.
We will also email you if more information is needed, so make sure you're checking!
If your plans change, please reply to your approval email no later than 8:30am business day before a table booking, or five business days before a room booking. Not cancelling a booking in advance of these deadlines or not arriving for your booking without notice (no-shows) can result in suspension of booking privileges and, in some cases, a fine.
Check in at the HQ Toronto Reception desk within 30 minutes of the start time of your booking - sanctions apply to groups who do not arrive on time or exceed cancellation limits.
Please note any food or beverage you would like to have at your event must be indicated in booking document.
Groups are allowed to play music during their booking but be aware that there is a noise limit in effect at all hours. Not adhering to the noise limits can result in cancellation of current and / or future bookings, as well as a fine.
Confirmations for room booking requests may take up to two weeks to complete this process depending on the number of requests. After that, requests are reviewed as they come in and are usually approved in 1-2 business days.
We provide access to high-speed Wi-Fi to both service users and events participants.
HQ Toronto offers three distinctive rental venues and books the full spectrum of public and private events. Pricing depends on the venue, date, time, and requirements of an event.
Please contact us for a quote at bookings@hqtoronto.ca
HQ Toronto has a dedicated service kitchen areas for catering use. This kitchen does not contain an oven or microwave for use.
To use alcohol in the space we ask that you provide us a SOP before bringing alcohol into the space and ensure that all necessary safety procedures are enforced in regard to AGCO protocols.