We made 144,958 connections in 2022. We want to create a community where everyone is heard.
At Distress Centre Calgary, we are here for people going through some of the most difficult times in their lives. When someone is in crisis, considering suicide, or needs referral support, the staff and volunteers at Distress Centre are here to listen and help. And we’ve been here since 1970. Learn more about our impact in 2022.
Crisis Support
crisis connections made.
Including 5,163 ConnecTeen contacts
Distress Centre provides 24 hour crisis support by phone, text and chat to Calgary and southern Alberta. Anyone can contact Distress Centre when they’re in crisis to speak with a highly trained responder, receive emotional support and feel heard.
Teens and youth contact, ConnecTeen, can speak with a youth around their own age during daily peer support hours.
of crisis contacts were suicide-related in 2022. That percentage increases to 48% when we look at only crisis chat and texts contacts.
emergency interventions, an increase of 18%.
of surveyed users would contact Distress Centre again if in crisis.
of surveyed users reported a stable or reduced level of distress at the end of their chat session.
of contacts initially assessed as high risk were stabilized.
of surveyed ConnecTeen users indicated that it’s important they speak to a youth.
The top caller issues on our crisis lines were: Anxiety, suicide ideation, depressed mood, family relationships, isolation/loneliness
211 Calgary and Area
We made
47,950connections through 211.
We experienced an
89%increase compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. This includes all calls, chats and texts, as well as follow-up calls.
When someone needs help and doesn’t know where to turn, 211 connects them with the right service for their issue. Calls, texts and chats are answered 24/7 by professional 211 Community Resource Specialists who are trained to assess needs, refer the person to the most appropriate service and help them navigate the network of community, social, health and government services.
2022 was an exciting year for 211 in Calgary. Through the collaborative efforts of many existing and new partnerships, positive strides have been made to create a better response to mental health and addiction issues in our city.
Financial assistance remains a top issue for 211 contacts in 2022, but we also saw a 50% increase in mental health and substance-abuse related contacts.
In 2022, a total of 1927 calls were connected to 211 via the 911/non-emergency line.
Since its launch on August 2, 2022, the Downtown Outreach Addictions Partnership (DOAP) team was successfully dispatched 1663 times in 2022, from both calls diverted from 911 and directly from the community.
of surveyed users reported learning how to access community resources that meet their needs.
of surveyed users reported they are likely to contact 211 again if needed.
Distress Centre’s Community Resource Database team validated 3,314 resources in 2022, ensuring that updated and accurate information is available in the Inform Alberta database.
Volunteers
contact centre and remote volunteer hours in 2022.
414 total crisis and online services volunteers and 40 ConnecTeen volunteers in 2022.
80% of surveyed volunteers report using their skills outside Distress Centre.
80.1% of Distress Centre’s hours of service were covered by volunteers.
“Volunteering is one of the best experiences of my life.”
“I don't really look at it as in: ‘what I do for Distress Centre?’ because I feel it's a well-balanced give and take. I give my time on the lines, but Distress Centre has given me the opportunity to grow myself and increase my sense of self-worth, while also helping others do the same.”
“I have been on so many chats where at the very end of the chat they'll be like, 'hey, you know what? Thank you so much. You genuinely saved my life' or you 'really kept me safe during this conversation.’ In those instances you feel like, 'wow, I made a difference in this person's life.'"
Counselling
To help with more complex issues, our professional crisis counsellors provide free short-term counselling for individuals, couples and families at Distress Centre.
In 2022, after providing counselling by phone and video only for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we brought back in-person sessions. Providing multiple ways to receive counselling makes the service as accessible as possible.
total counselling contacts
average number of new counselling intakes per month
of surveyed clients reported they were better able to cope at the end of counselling
of surveyed clients reported that they were better able to cope with their circumstances and issues 60–90 days post counselling
Counselling Impact Story
“Jane,” a woman in her 50s, attended her first session by phone in early January. She described living independently in the basement of her 30-year-old son’s house, helping to pay for rent, groceries, and household bills. Jane related that she had lost her job a few months ago, and had been actively looking for another job, and had been living on employment insurance. Jane shared that she had been a single parent since the children’s father left the family just after the youngest child was born. She described feeling guilty that she had not been able to provide the life her children deserved and she felt ashamed that she was depending on her youngest son now for his support.
At their initial meeting, Jane and her counsellor collaborated to identify some goals for change and an action plan for them. One goal was to help her create a budget to establish a clear picture of what their monthly priorities needed to be. Another goal was to help her to become less critical of herself and her efforts. During five subsequent sessions Jane was encouraged to review her accomplishments to help her to realize just how much she had done for her family and help her recognize how strong, resilient, and resourceful she had been.
SORCe Team
We served
3,741unique individuals and families, providing 20,806 unique services in 2022.
Distress Centre’s programs at SORCe:
- Coordinated Access and Assessment: Housing Strategists provide connection to the supportive housing system in Calgary, System Navigators & Resource Specialists provide in-person information & referral supports.
- Community Supports: ID Replacement, Crisis Mental Health & Client Advocate, Housing Location, Diversion Housing, and Safeworks–Harm Reduction Satellite Site, Basic Needs program.
- Financial Empowerment: Provides taxation & benefits support, financial coaching and pensions over 65.
- Winter Response: Opened and launched the Housing & Communication Hub, providing access to communication tools and staff support for goal oriented housing plans supporting applications to treatment, affordable housing, employment searches, connection to natural supports.
housing assessments or updates, and 9,791 housing check-ins.
community partners were supported with training to become Housing Strategists, increasing overall coverage in Calgary.
in taxation & benefits were received by Financial Empowerment program participants.
Basic Needs Fund
We provided assistance to
328clients in 2022.
The Basic Needs Fund distributed $290,850 to individuals and families who needed one-time financial assistance.
Partner Agencies Support
contacts were answered in collaboration with our partner agencies.
This includes contacts we answered on behalf of Talk Suicide, SeniorConnect, The Way In, Bullying Helpline, Family Violence Information Line and Abuse Helpline.
In our society, people talk about mental health more than ever. But suicide is often kept quiet. And it’s costing lives. We’re asking you to start these conversations in your life – and support the growing need for our services. Together, we can provide hope for anyone who is facing crisis.
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