Distress and Crisis Ontario
Distress and Crisis Ontario (DCO) is an administrative membership association that supports advocacy, networking, and training for Distress Centres (DCs) across Ontario. DCs offer instant support and a variety of services to their communities and are a place where you can find a listening ear for anyone who is feeling lonely, depressed, is struggling with suicidal ideation, or who is otherwise in need of support. Most centres operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and may include suicide survivor programs, LGBTQ+ friendly services, support services for youth, telephone call-out programs for seniors and other vulnerable populations, mental health crisis lines, and more. Visit our Member locations page to find a centre near you or click here to learn more about us.
Building a caring partnership for close to 50 years, the Ontario Association of Distress Centres, operating as Distress and Crisis Ontario (DCO), has worked with its membership to increase the capacity of community based organizations offering distress and crisis line services and providing suicide prevention support. In everything we do, we aim to provide advocacy for our Members and the distress/crisis sector, training opportunities for volunteers and leadership, and to foster networking among Member centres to allow for partnerships and growth among the sector. A DCO membership is ideal for a variety of organizations that provide telephone, chat, and/or text-based distress and/or crisis and/or suicide intervention and prevention services to their communities. Also for multiservice organizations with specialized telephone, chat, text and/or web-based support for their communities and its at-risk populations. Learn more with the “Become a Member” button above.
If you are in distress, crisis, or are experiencing suicidal ideation:
ONTX is here to help and support you
For support over text, text SUPPORT to 258258
or, click below to
Available from 2PM – 2AM EST daily, standard text messaging rates apply.
Fundraisers, news, and events
SOV Webinar: Eating Disorders with NEDIC
In February 2022 we held an SOV Webinar with the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) that discussed how to support callers who may be struggling with disordered eating. Click here to see the webinar notes, including a link to a full recording of the...
Black History Month 2022 Resource List
Every February, people across Canada participate in Black History Month with events and festivities that honour the legacy of Black Canadians and their communities. The 2022 theme for Black History Month is: “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and...
The Clyde Mental Health and Addictions Awareness Project
In remembrance and honour of Clyde, Distress and Crisis Ontario have created the Clyde Mental Health and Addictions Awareness Project (#TheClydeProject) to run over the next 12 months. For the year of 2022, we will dedicate a section of the monthly newsletter, a...
SOV Webinar: Holiday Check-in
Please click here to see the notes from our December 2021 SOV Webinar where we did a holiday check-in and discussed vaccine mandates and COVID-19 implications.
SOV Webinar: Supporting Parents
Please click here to view the webinar notes from our October 2021 SOV webinar on supporting parents, with an emphasis on support for parents on the autism spectrum. Included in the notes is a link to view a full recording of the presentation.
Learning Opportunities
Christina Hennelly, Intimate Partner Violence Specialist at the Brain Injury Association of Waterloo Wellington, and friend of Distress and Crisis Ontario, will be speaking about her project on Intimate Partner and Gender Based Violence at two upcoming events. Visit...
Members learning platform
Learning Forum
Our Learning Forum videos are available to our Member centres and their volunteers as a way to provide training and education. If you are a Member centre employee or volunteer, please login to access the Learning Forum.
Thank you to our major funder and supporter
We would like to thank LifeLine International for their grant of $3,500.00 to support our Clyde Mental Health and Addictions Awareness Project. Their funding will go towards continually raising awareness and providing tools to professionals and communities of individuals, families, and interest groups to aid them in supporting suicide prevention and intervention
Donate now through canadahelps.org
Find a DCO Member Centre near you
One of the greatest gifts you can give is your time
How to reach our administrative staff:
If you are in distress or crisis and need immediate support, please call one of the Distress Centres or Crisis Lines listed in the GET HELP section of this website or, for help finding other mental health service providers, look at our USEFUL INFORMATION section. Distress and Crisis Ontario itself is an administrative organization and does not provide telephone listening or referrals!
Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch:
Administration offices, not a crisis line!
416-486-2242
info@dcontario.org
PO Box 40115
RPO Waterloo Square
Waterloo, ON
N2J 4V1
Distress and Crisis Ontario was recently featured on
torontoblogs.ca, click here to see the article.
Distress and Crisis Ontario is dedicated to being an LGBTQ2+ safe space, committed to inclusion and respect.
Distress and Crisis Ontario acknowledge that we are located on the Haldimand Tract, land promised to Six Nations, which includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. We are on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (Neutral Confederacy), Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples.
Distress and Crisis Ontario is a member of good standing of the Internation Association of Suicide Prevention and LifeLine International, as well as The American Association of Suicidology and Addictions and Mental Health Ontario.