Meet Tania, a volunteer-in-training for our 24-Hour Crisis Line! Before anyone takes solo
shifts on Distress Centre Calgary’s crisis line, they receive extensive classroom and online
self-paced training, to ensure they are prepared for the role.
Even before completing her training, Tania has found ways to apply what she’s learned on
the lines to her everyday life, helping her deescalate conflict at her job.
Tania works at a post-secondary school in the residence buildings, where a big part of her
role is to help manage conflict between students, staff, and sometimes the parents.
She shared the story of a time when the parents of a student were upset about a situation.
Emotions were high. Tania had recently started her crisis line responder training and
intuitively, she was able to apply what she’d learned already to calmly de-escalate the
situation.
“I started talking to them and I didn’t even notice how I started applying the knowledge I
received from the crisis line training. I started building rapport and assessed the situation.
In the end, I successfully guided the conversation and offered them options to move
forward.”
Tania’s journey to becoming a crisis line volunteer began when she arrived in Canada from
Ukraine. She was fortunate to find a welcoming community of newcomers who helped her
navigate the challenges of adjusting to a new country. But she soon realized that not
everyone has the same support. This inspired her to step up and be that source of support
for others through DCC’s 24-Hour Crisis Line.
Throughout her training, Tania has been learning how to provide empathetic,
nonjudgmental support to those in distress. She appreciates the in-depth training process,
which equips volunteers with the skills to navigate difficult conversations and offer
meaningful assistance.
She shared that the supportive environment at Distress Centre has been instrumental in
her growth, allowing her to feel confident as she prepares to take calls and inspired her to
use what she has learned in her day-to-day life.
“I was surprised by how welcoming and inclusive the environment is at Distress Centre. As
a person who has never dealt with crisis intervention before, it’s important to have an
understanding that you are never alone. If something happens, you can always each out for
help and no one is going to judge you.”
Thank you, Tania, for sharing your volunteer training experience and for making a difference
with Distress Centre!
Looking to make a difference in your community like Tania? Apply and
volunteer with Distress Centre!
