Distress Centre Calgary

Special matching campaign on now! Until December 31, all donations to Distress Centre Calgary will be matched up to $100,000 — doubling your impact to support those in need of real human connection!

We, at Distress Centre, believe what we do makes the world a better place. We help change the mental health landscape through the power of compassionate service and connection to community resources. We are a centralized hub that connects people to the help they need, offer 24/7 wellness support, mental health education, and move Albertans from crisis into stability.

For over 50 years, Distress Centre has provided empathetic, accessible and resiliency-based services focused on intervention and prevention. We are proud to be a leader in mental health and wellness support for Calgary and area, Southern Alberta and across Canada.

In 2024, Distress Centre responded to over 164,000 contacts across all our programs.

For many teens and adults, Distress Centre is one of the first organizations they connect with, to access the vital resources they need to maintain and improve their overall well-being. We deliver and evolve our services, based upon the needs of our clients.

We know our clients lean on many services in our community, beyond the programs available at Distress Centre. Therefore, we work collaboratively with other community organizations, municipal services, and local and provincial governments to ensure Calgarians are connected and receiving the right health, social and government resources they need, when they need it.

Our Impact – What We Do
Distress Centre currently operates and delivers seven unique services to the community, that focus on advocacy and prevention, intervention, awareness and advancement:

24-Hour Crisis Support
o No cost, no referral required, available 24/7 via phone, text, chat and email.
o Confidential peer support for adults in Calgary and area, Southern Alberta and across Canada.
o In 2024, over 50,000 connections were made through the Crisis Lines, including 2,800 contacts on ConnecTeen.

ConnecTeen
o No cost, no referral required, available 24/7 via phone, text and chat.
o Confidential peer support service for youth in Calgary and area.
o In 2024, 2,800 connections were made through ConnecTeen.

211 service for Southern Alberta
o No cost, no referral required, available 24/7 via phone, text, chat and email.
o Confidential comprehensive information and referral system that helps Albertans find the right community, social, health and government resource or service for whatever issue they need help with, at the right time. Available in over 200 languages by phone.
o Delivered by 45-55 full-time, part-time and relief staff with a post-secondary degree or diploma with a human services designation such as social work and psychology.
o In 2024, 59,000 calls, texts, and chats were made to our 211 information and navigation service, including over 8400 contacts through our call-diversion work with Calgary Police Services and Calgary 911

Coordinated Entry Program at SORCe (Safe Communities Opportunity & Resource Centre)
o A multi-agency collaborative, working out of a single location, that connects people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to programs and services that can help to address the barriers to stable housing.
o In 2024, 18,700 interactions were made, with over 8,000 clients supported, which is a 93.3% increase compared to 2023.

Familiar Voices – NEW OPPORTUNITY
o No cost, opt-in program for Familiar Voices clients
o Familiar Voices clients are individuals who struggle with numerous complexities and rely upon Distress Centre’s Crisis line for daily and weekly mental health support, which helps de-escalate their concern(s) but does not address root issue(s).
o In 2022, the 150 Familiar Voices clients accounted for 30% of all Crisis Line interactions.
o Proposing a specialized preventative model to support Familiar Voices clients’ complexities while opening Crisis Line capacity for other individuals and families.

Crisis Counselling
o No cost, by appointment.
o General short-term crisis counselling for individuals, families or couples coping with a crisis.
o In 2024, Distress Centre served 2,400 crisis counselling contacts

Basic Needs Fund
o Referral required, one-time access.
o Emergency support to individuals and families in Calgary who are struggling with a financial crisis.
o In 2024, the Basic Needs Fund disbursed funds to 323 individuals and families who needed one-time financial assistance.

DCC Training
o Fee for training, online self-directed learning or facilitated group booking.
o Mental health and crisis education with practical skill development.
o Currently offering 6 training modules.

Our Requests – What You Can Do
Your donation and corporate investment will help fund Distress Centre Calgary programs and services, including 24-hour crisis support, youth peer support, professional counselling, education and training and technological solutions. Your support makes it possible for us to provide all our services at no cost to the service user.

We would be honoured to discuss custom stewardship & recognition opportunities in appreciation of your support.