24-Hour Support for the Community
If you need to talk, Distress Centre is here to listen. 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. All conversations are confidential.
Phone or text: 403-266-HELP (403-266-4357)
Online Chat: Enter chat portal
Youth and Teen Support
Distress Centre’s youth program, ConnecTeen, provides a safe space for youth to address any problem they have in life, big or small. Youth can contact ConnecTeen 24/7 by phone, chat or text. ConnecTeen offers daily peer support hours – you can talk with a youth peer volunteer who is close in age and better understands what youth are dealing with.
Text: 587-333-2724
Chat: CalgaryConnecTeen.com
Phone: 403-264-8336
Youth peer support is available from 3-10 pm on weekdays and 12-10 pm on weekends. Outside of peer support hours, adult responders answer the contacts.
988 Suicide Crisis Helpline
9-8-8 is a new national three-digit helpline that provides urgent, live support by phone and text for anyone who is thinking about suicide, or who is worried about someone they know.
Phone or text: 9-8-8
Distress Centre Calgary is a 9-8-8 partner and part of the network of crisis lines across the country whose responders take 9-8-8 calls and texts.
Opportunities to Help
Our volunteer opportunities allow you to provide support in various ways, including over the phone and via chat, text, or email. We also provide extensive practical and ongoing training.
As Calgary’s only 24-hour crisis agency, we are often the first point of contact for those seeking help. Make a career out of making a difference!
Distress Centre is committed to furthering the field of social work, and we view practicum students as a great asset to our team. Practicum opportunities exist year-round within the Crisis Line Program and Counselling Program, along with other opportunities.
Check Out Our Blog
Explore what’s new in the community and important updates from Distress Centre.
Partnering to support unhoused individuals through winter
The arrival of spring signals the end of the winter season of the Coordinated Community Extreme Weather Response (CCEWR). For Distress Centre, that means wrapping up our Coordinated Entry work [...]Read More... from Partnering to support unhoused individuals through winter
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Meet some of the amazing social workers at DC
March is Social Work Month, the perfect time to spotlight some of the incredible social workers at DC who work in a variety of roles serving individuals and the community. [...]Read More... from Meet some of the amazing social workers at DC
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What Is Community Service, What Are the Benefits, & How Can I Contribute?
Community service, in essence, is work that benefits your community, often done without compensation. Engaging in community service not only helps those in need but also fosters a sense of fulfillment and connection within the community. [...]Read More... from What Is Community Service, What Are the Benefits, & How Can I Contribute?
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How to Cope with Crippling Anxiety & When to Seek Help
Everyone can experience anxiety differently, but some strategies that may help include mindfulness, meditation, physical exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy, and breathing exercises. If you’re experiencing debilitating panic attacks, finding yourself using substances to cope, or having thoughts of self-harm, it’s time to seek support. [...]Read More... from How to Cope with Crippling Anxiety & When to Seek Help
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Why Is Volunteering Important?
Volunteering can be a crucial element of nonprofit organizations that offer essential services in your community, catalyzing positive change, helping those with nowhere else to turn, and offering a plethora of personal and professional benefits for volunteers [...]Read More... from Why Is Volunteering Important?
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10 Types of Grief Explained
There are many different forms of grief. Some of the most common types include: Normal grief Anticipatory grief Complicated grief Disenfranchised grief Collective grief Ambiguous grief Absent grief Secondary grief Cumulative grief Traumatic grief [...]Read More... from 10 Types of Grief Explained
READOur Impact Funders
we want you to know that your donation is currently supporting someone in crisis. thank you for your contributions.
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Email: info@distresscentre.com24-Hour Crisis Line: 403-266-4357
Main Office: 403-266-1601
Youth Program Office: 403-264-8337
Calgary, AB T2R 1J5 | View Map
Charitable Registration Number:
107021024RR0001
In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, Distress Centre Calgary would like to honour and acknowledge Moh’kinsstis, and the traditional Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. Finally, we acknowledge all Nations – Indigenous and non – who live, work and play on this land, and who honour and celebrate this territory.
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