Losing touch with a loved one at any time is difficult. It can be especially distressing if they are actively using substances, as concerns about overall wellness and safety collide with potential dangers associated with substance use. It is normal to feel overwhelmed and unsure how to take action.

This resource offers guidance on what to do when you’ve lost touch with a loved one. It includes advice on how to assess the urgency of the situation and how to find support to help you take the first steps in locating them.

While every situation is unique, this guide considers potential circumstances that may apply to missing adults who use substances within Canada, with resources and services specific to British Columbia.

To jump ahead to the section you are currently seeking support with, click one of the following:

Considerations before starting your search

How to start a search for a missing person with substance use concerns

Community Supports & Resources

Considerations before starting your search

Families and friends of individuals who use substances may face unique challenges trying to find a loved one, as these individuals can often encounter additional barriers during times of crisis.

If you are worried about someone you’ve lost touch with or who may be missing, take a moment to assess the situation carefully to determine its urgency. For immediate safety concerns, prioritize contacting emergency services and filing a missing person’s report. If the situation seems stable (or at least nonimmediate emergency), start by reaching out to their known networks to gather more information. Evaluate the urgency by considering the following.

Consider the Context

Examining the situation may better help you decide on next steps.

• Are you concerned for their immediate safety due to a crisis situation?
  • If so, you should escalate your actions as suggested in the section below
• Is their unresponsiveness unusual? Or are they sometimes slow to reply when you call, text, or email?
  • If they’re sometimes slow to respond and you’re not worried about their immediate safety, take a few steps to see if you can find out details from friends or other contacts.
• Could there be a reason they might not want to be found, such as needing space from friends and family, feeling embarrassed if they’ve left treatment, or avoiding certain situations?
  • If their immediate safety is not a concern when they’re avoiding contact with you or others, it might be best not to escalate your search.
• Could practical barriers, such as losing their phone, be preventing them from reaching out to you?
  • If so, think about the alternative ways to reach them, either through friends, their social media, or their regular hangouts (like a bar or coffee shop).

Identify your goals

Be clear and honest with yourself on your goals for locating your loved one, and consider whether these may impact their willingness to be contacted.

• Are you simply trying to find out if they are safe?
• Are you trying to speak with them or see them?
• Are you trying to get them into treatment or connect them with other services?

Identify Patterns and Past Behaviour

Reflect on whether this has happened before. Sometimes past behavior can predict future behavior, but not always.

• What are the usual patterns in their behavior or communication?
• Have you lost touch with them previously? Is this situation different from previous incidents?
• If this has happened before, how was it resolved? What would you do similarly or different this time?

Consider their relationship with police, emergency responders, or other authority

Some individuals who use substances may fear interactions with police, emergency responders, or even their doctor. While their involvement is at times necessary to ensure safety, it’s important to approach these situations delicately.

• This fear may stem from criminalization, stigma, or past negative experiences.
• For racialized individuals, these concerns may be heightened by systemic discrimination or bias.

You can request a wellness check and file a missing person’s report (more information below) if you are concerned for their safety. Be mindful of the individual’s potential response to coming into contact with law enforcement.

Take care of yourself

Remember to take care of your own wellbeing throughout your search. Take breaks when needed, lean on trusted people for support, and reach out to mental health or crisis services if you're overwhelmed. See below for resources.

• Crisis lines across BC

How to start a search for a missing person with substance use concerns

Before filing a missing person’s report with the police, take these steps to confirm whether your loved one is truly missing. These are arranged in order of urgency. Depending on the circumstances, it may be more appropriate to start with a broader search.

1. Call and Alert

• Contact friends, partner(s), and chosen family to ask if they’ve seen or heard from this person recently or when they last heard from them and how they were.
• Call local hospitals and ask patient services if they are admitted.
• Contact local shelters and addiction clinics and ask if your loved one has been there. While they may not provide details, you can leave a message with staff for your loved one to contact you.
  • Police are able to confirm with shelters and clinics if your loved one has been seen.
• Call police to request a wellness check on the individual – being mindful of your loved one’s relationship with law enforcement.
  • Call 911 if you are concerned about their immediate safety
    • Or call non-emergency.
  • Be prepared to provide detailed information including their physical description and circumstances of when and where they were last seen.

Factors including physical and mental health status and substance use will be considered in a risk assessment.

2. Search Online

• Have they posted on their social media recently? A recent post might suggest where they are or offer insights on their wellbeing.
• Try reaching out to their friends on social media.
• Search, post and monitor updates in the Facebook page dedicated for supporting searches for people missing in the Downtown Eastside.
• Search the Court Services Online (CSO) site to see if your loved one may be in jail.

Find numbers for hospitals, shelters, or addiction clinics (more information below).

3. File a Missing Person’s Report

In B.C., you do not need to wait to report someone as missing. If you have taken all the steps mentioned above and are still unable to find your loved one, you can file a missing person’s report with the local police in your area.

• If you are concerned about this person’s immediate safety, call 911.
• Otherwise, call non-emergency and inform the operator that you wish to file a missing person’s report.
• Keep the file number that is provided to you for your records and to reference during follow-up communication with the police.

For information on what to expect when filing a missing person’s report, go to this link.

4. Post Notices and Search Known Areas

• If you are comfortable and able to do so, search in areas your loved one is likely to pass through or visit.
• Create a poster using a high-resolution current or recent photo and include descriptions of your loved one and how to contact you.
  • Tip: If possible, avoid posting personal information publicly. Consider sharing contact details of a trusted public organization or group that can support you in your search (Refer to the community supports & resources section below).
• You can create these posters with a template such as this one.
• Leave posters and your contact details at drop-in clinics, community resource hubs, libraries, and shelters.
  • Tip: Be careful about what personal information about your loved one or yourself you share publicly. Consider creating a new email account that doesn’t include your personal information.

Post on your social media and ask followers to repost and ask around within their own networks.

5. Notify and Plan Ahead Once Your Loved One is Found

• Once your loved one is confirmed to be safe, be sure to share this update with those who were informed of the search.
  • If you filed a missing person’s report and/or notified the police, notify and close the search.
  • Update with the status of your search where you shared posters and notices, in both online and community spaces.
  • Create a plan with your loved one about how to be sure of their safety in the future
    • Some suggestions may be:
      • Agreeing to reply with a simple “I’m fine” text without expectations or pressure to talk further.
      • Having a mutual close and trusted person check in regularly on your loved one.
    • Ensure the emergency contact information for your loved one is up to date.

Community Supports & Resources

Searching for a missing loved one can be deeply challenging and overwhelming. It is important to know you do not have to do it alone. There are communities with lived experience, expertise, and resources to assist you and expand the search if needed. The following are some organizations, groups, and services that may be able to help you through this process.