Distress Line Equity Fund Announcement

Backgrounder

May 9, 2024

Crisis and distress line services aim to reduce an individual’s crisis state, emotional distress, and risk of suicide. They may also provide access to other suicide prevention and mental health resources, tools, and services.

The Government of Canada is dedicated to ensuring everyone in Canada has access to mental health services and supports, respecting their culture, background or experiences. To help achieve this goal, in September 2023, the Government of Canada announced $8 million in funding through the Distress Line Equity Fund to address gaps in equity, diversity and inclusion within Canada’s crisis and distress line sector.

Building on a previous announcement on March 1, 2024, where 19 early recipients were announced, the Government is announcing $4,535,707 in funding to 26 additional organizations. The maximum funding available per project is $250,000 for a maximum duration of twelve months. 

This Government of Canada program is helping organizations in providing crisis and distress line services to respond to the needs of everyone who calls or texts, including populations with higher rates of suicide, such as Indigenous peoples, members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, newcomers, veterans, older adults, and those living in rural and remote communities.

Project Overviews

British Columbia

Vancouver Island Crisis Society

Chimo Community Services Society

Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC

Canadian Mental Health Association Vernon & District

Kelowna Community Resources Society

  • Kelowna Community Resources Society will receive $103,781 in funding to increase capacity and competency by providing support and trusted resources to underserved populations, regardless of their cultural, social and economic status.

KUU-US Crisis Line Society

  • KUU-US Crisis Line Society will receive $181,744 in funding to increase the knowledge of staff and make services more impactful and accessible.

Alberta

Eastside Community Mental Health Services of Wood's Homes

Legacy Place Society

  • Legacy Place Society will receive $241,497 in funding to improve their confidential helpline services for individuals and families of first responders, military personnel, and veterans.

Saskatchewan

Mobile Crisis Services

  • Mobile Crisis Services will receive $220,000 in funding to provide current staff with professional development and training opportunities, enhancing their existing crisis intervention techniques and build new skills.

Ontario 

Canadian Mental Health Association Peel Dufferin Branch

Parents’ Lifelines of Eastern Ontario Family Mental Health Support Association

Naseeha Youth Helpline

  • Naseeha Youth Helpline will receive $240,874 in funding to extend their operational hours to 24/7 to reach diverse communities in all time zones and increase accessibility across various modalities, like text and chat.

Lance Krasman Memorial Centre for Community Mental Health

South Asian Canadians Health & Social Services

  • South Asian Canadians Health & Social Services will receive $196,626 in funding to provide members of the South Asian community with a service they can access that will provide support, counselling, and access to community and/or mental health resources.

Yor-Sup-Net Support Service Network

Quebec

SOS Professionnels

  • SOS Professionnels will receive $105,670 in funding to further develop their phone line that services professionals in Quebec including in the health sector, education, first responders, community-level responders.

Centre d’écoute et de prévention suicide Drummond

Tel-Aide Montréal

  • Tel-Aide Montréal will receive $218,500 in funding to provide training to responders to meet the needs of senior populations and their caretakers.

Centre d’action bénévole Laviolette

La Maison sous les Arbres

  • La Maison sous les Arbres will receive $178,792 in funding to offer responder training and raise awareness of their services with non-Francophone users.

Centre de prévention du suicide de Québec

La Traversée centre de crise et de prévention du suicide

Centre d'écoute Montérégie

  • Centre d'écoute Montérégie will receive $105,889 in funding to increase capacity to increase the hours of service and train employees in cultural, sex and gender, and stigmatization experienced by persons with mental health difficulties.

Centre de Référence du Grand Montréal

  • Centre de Référence du Grand Montréal will receive $250,000 in funding to remove barriers for those calling from equity-seeking populations, including improving data collection and increasing awareness of interpretation services in 200 languages.

Centre de prévention suicide Arthabaska-Érable Inc.

Ressource de transition Le Tournant

  • Ressource de transition Le Tournant will receive $94,000 in funding to better meet the needs of their diverse callers, including equity and diversity training, and translation and interpretation services for non-Francophone users. 

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