Distress Centres Ontario
Meet our Board Members
Distress Centre Ontario is governed by a board of directors, each elected to a three year term. Board members may be selected for an at-large position or represent one of the four regions: Western Ontario, Central Ontario, Eastern Ontario and the GTA.
Meet some of our Board Members and hear what they have to say below!
Domenic Allega
Domenic Allega has worked in the social services field for over fifteen years with various populations. Currently he is employed in the mental health sector as a Community Support Worker. Though introduced to Distress Centres Ontario recently, he has volunteered on a distress line in the past with Telecare Hamilton.
Domenic spells out the value of the telephone for people with mental health problems:
“Given that I am working with mentally ill folks, I know all too well the importance of having accessible services. The telephone can be a valuable convenience for individuals with mental health issues.”
Debbie Bonselaar - DCO Board Member
Debbie Bonselaar was very pleased to accept the position of Eastern Region Representative to Distress Centres Ontario in 2003. She has been involved in the Distress Centre movement for the past twelve years. As Administrative Assistant for Distress Centre Lanark, Leeds & Grenville, she is responsible for the organization and management of the program for Lanark County. Debbie is a graduate of the Management of Volunteers Program at Algonquin College and is a Master Trainer for Living Works, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. She is currently Chairperson of the Lanark County Mental Health Support Project and Chairperson of the Mental Health Support Project of Lanark, Leeds & Grenville, as well.
Debbie talks about the value of active listening:
"The most important gift we can give another person is to actively listen to them because people need to be heard. Volunteers trained in the art of active listening report improvements in their home and work relationships. Our callers often express their gratitude that someone is out there, and someone is listening to them. Distress Centres are an integral and important role in our society because they improve the lives of others."
Troy Bolton - DCO Past President and Board Member
As the Director of Development and Information Technology at Operation Springboard, Troy Bolton has an understanding of the need for social supports and community services in Ontario. His commitment to the Distress Centre movement has been longstanding, having served for over nine years not only as a Board Member, but also as President of the Association. Troy led the strategic planning and visioning exercises and reorganization efforts that have lead to a revitalized DCO.
Troy articulates the partnership values of DCO
“It is important that DCO and its member centres work collaboratively with partner agencies and organizations to help those who may suffer from emotional distress or have thoughts of suicide.”
Charles Laframboise - DCO Board Member
Celebrating 20 years working with not-for-profit organizations, Charles has particularly enjoyed the last 9 years at the senior management level. Graduating with a Master’s Degree from the University of Ottawa, Charles began his career working for national governing bodies before migrating to the local scene as Executive Director for the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region. He joined Distress Centre Ontario’s Board of Directors in 2005.
Here's what Charles has to say about Distress Centres Ontario:
“A provincial body which rallies like-minded agencies across Ontario offers an excellent networking tool that is so beneficial to each individual agency and to the distress centre movement as a whole. Distress Centres Ontario offers a forum though which local centres can exchange ideas for the purpose of better serving the clients who need us.
Danielle Lin - DCO Treasurer
Currently working for a major Canadian bank in Regulatory Compliance, Danielle has practiced as a Chartered Accountant for 20 years. She joined the DCO Board of Directors in 2007 and her special interest as a parent is to provide a safe and healthy community for her children and that extends to ensuring a safe and healthy community for all children. She believes that good mental health is an important part of that equation.
Danielle believes in accessibility for all
“I believe strongly in the value of accessible community support programs and feel very privileged to have worked with and to be working with community-based programs and organizations such as DCO and its member centres.”
Karen Rosen - DCO Board Member
Karen Rosen is a partner in the business law department of Fogler, Rubinoff LLP, a Toronto law firm. She joined the DCO board in December 2002 after being recruited by DCO's former President. She was drawn to DCO because of her personal experiences supporting both friends and family members suffering from depression. As a teenager, Karen, like many others, experienced the loss of school-mates to suicide.
Karen values the support that DCO provides to community Distress Centres:
“I am particularly interested in organizations geared to suicide prevention and more importantly, DCO, which provides support to local distress centres that play such an important role in helping people of all ages in their darkest moments."
How can you be involved?
Distress Centre Ontario is currently seeking leaders to join its Board of Directors. Who are we looking for? If you have a strong commitment to helping in issues of mental health and suicide, and have proven leadership or organizational experience, you can apply for a position on the board. All board members are volunteers, and the time commitment is approximately four hours a month.
Your application and current resume should be received by October 10th for consideration by the Nominations Committee prior to the Annual General Meeting held in late October of each year. However, please submit your application at any time during the year and it will be considered for the next nomination round.
For a copy of the Call for Board Members, click here.
For an application form, click here.