Distress Centre Calgary - Calgary, Alberta

Cody D.

I cannot express enough gratitude for the exceptional service provided by Calgary 211, Cindy, Mubina and especially Sara.
Regarding Benefits & Navigation of Seniors, Accessibility supports and organizations. Having this information for my aging family is beyond helpful!

Their patience and compassion are truly beyond measure. Sara took an incredible amount of time to collaborate with me, ensuring I fully understood the information and resources she provided. Her caring nature and dedication to helping others are evident in every interaction.

Thanks to Sara and the team at Calgary 211, I now have a much clearer understanding of the resources available to me, my family, and our future. The options they presented were far more comprehensive than I ever anticipated. If you need support and guidance, I highly recommend reaching out to Calgary 211. Their team is not only knowledgeable but also genuinely invested in the well-being of their clients. Thank you, Sara, for your outstanding service and unwavering support!

Paul S.

Volunteers to handle mental health problems? Are you serious? Go up to anyone walking on the street and talk to them- essentially the same thing. I had questions about a person I knew who was going through some mental health issues and used basic psych terminology that ANY trained, educated professional would know and the “trained” volunteers were hearing a new language. Unit 24 (psych ward) at foothills hospital said to call this place for any urgent matters? If tax payers dollars are going towards this joke- give me my money back

Mi V.

Horrible, if you are suicidal this is not the place to reach out to even if the Distress Line tells you qualify. They don’t return requests or calls. And even the counsellors will stand you up and never return an email or message. Not what it was 30 years ago and not even sure what purpose they serve as negligence of this kind is culpable.

In addition to the note by the Distress Centre was regarding Crisis Counselling form you had me fill out but never ever contacted me at all, not via phone not via email, nothing

This place is supposed to help but instead make things worse

Staff maybe polite but are not properly trained nor are many qualified

Care and compassion only goes so far when professional help is needed but that is not provided here even when seeking it

Shameful reply by the centre just echos the ignorance here

H J.

The new system is unable to delete messages that are communicated through the website. I tried for several hours to have my messages deleted, but all I received was deflection. Clearly this website was launched prematurely. I'd stick to texting or phone calls, just like before!

Wayne B.

Pretty awful service.
I was fighting debt, family problems, suicides in that family, getting laid off, and even thoughts of ending my own existence so I wouldn't become anyone else's burden.
A lot of the issues came from a lack of good ideas how to get back on track. The counselors often would dwell on how my family members going on their own downward spiral made me sad, but almost never about how my work experience, education, hard work ethic and drive can get me out of this. Beyond telling me to call 211, learn to write a resume (which is about the most stupid advice to give someone who held down a job for decades and learned how to do that in my teenaged years), to keep trying, and learn to cope knowing they personally had no interest in helping me get out of my crisis, I felt doomed listening. I actually was yelling at them that I could come up with better advice simply by trying than relying on them to make any effort. I actually had counselors laugh at me when they could hear my frustration.
More work must be done for the good of this community. These counselors are often implying to callers they don't care about our lives spiraling out of control and few concrete solutions are given how to get on with our lives.
At the time, I was on the verge of losing my home and creditors harassing me at home, work, mailing address and email to somehow open the sky and give their money now. The Distress Centre often suggested very stupid advice like asking how I coped with the harassment, meditation through the stress, and get something to eat.
How incredibly useless this company is.
If your situation gets like that, apply to tens upon tens of thousands of jobs, and sell off things you don't need to get these creditors off your back. I came up with these ideas because I (1) made the effort and (2) embrace real solutions. A better paying job has come along and bills are getting paid off. Because of me. These 🤡 🤡 🤡 laughed at me for asking for help.
I can't respond to the response they just gave me but 211 tells me how to write a resume (yes I have talked to 211, they were just as useless if not more). I know how to do that and I don't have a problem getting work. I had low paying work when I was calling you. I asked if you could help, usually instead of clarifying what help you want to dance around, I told you I am interested not in confirming I was sad but what I can do to embrace solutions to get out of it. You argue you offer emotional support, I was on the verge of offing myself because I couldn't see a way out. And your staff and volunteers at times insulted or even laughed at me for being so frustrated that you said you would try and offer me an idea but really you offered me nothing I haven't already tried, and you don't care to try anything else. I ask anyone: If the staff claim to offer emotional support yet let their staff laugh at and insult people contemplating suicide, is that providing people emotional support!?!
I'm in this game to get on with a better life for myself and others, you don't seem to want to try anything but excuses why you don't have to do anything. Your response is pathetic. You aren't helping anyone. Quit.

Jamie C.

I put a 1 star so hopefully someone reads this. This needs to be the top Google search. Just proves that money before everything. Better yet, when they know someone is in dire need have someone drive to the dwelling and post media for the spouse or person in need. Rebecca was brilliant.

Adrian

I waited for 1 hour 26 minutes and nobody picked up. I tried the chat and it said the "organization does not serve my area" even though I live in Calgary, entered my details right, and this website is CALGARY DISTRESS CENTER! I clicked the alternate list and it looped me back to the phone number I already tried and also saying "it does not serve my area". What in the F does this site even do? I was so excited to get help and now I'm waiting I emergency in the psych ward to get help. I was so excited for an alternate route for help and this was such a let down and further compounded my already spiralling degraded mental health. This sucks. Don't count on it, I can't understand any positive reviews. Guess they are the lucky ones

Ivan S.

It's incredible how useless this "help" results to be. They won't help you, unless you are at your worse. All they do is to point out to other services, that seem to be more of begging than asking for them. It's not acceptable how much the government gauge us with more and more taxes. Doesn't advocate for increasing salaries. And create this useless type of agencies. Just an illusion. While the politicians are giving themselves raises, not taxing those same industries that are polluting our environment, as well as our bodies and the ones of those who we love. Thanks for nothing!