OUR MISSION
The Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region plays a key role in establishing a community where individuals in need are supported and empowered to meet life’s challenges.

OUR VISION
Working within the continuum ofof mental health services, the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region contributes to a healthier and safer community by providing suicide prevention, crisis intervention, psychological stabilization, emotional support, information, referral and education services, without judgement, to individuals in need.

OUR GOALS

1. DCOR invests in technological capacity that supports and improves the delivery of innovative services.
We will establish a technology backbone that supports our current services effectively and enables us to implement new services to meet the evolving needs of our diverse clients.

• Review existing technology and identify improvements to meet user needs
• Develop and implement staged plan to upgrade technology to meet these needs
• Improve real-time communication between volunteers and staff
• Analyze and implement solutions to simplify shift changes for volunteers

2. DCOR delivers exceptional service to the diverse communities of all the regions we serve and support.
Collaborating with community partners and stakeholders, we will identify and engage with communities underserved by mental health services and work with them to create services that meet their needs and to engage with DCOR more actively.

We will conduct research to improve our services and add to the collective knowledge of mental health service communities, sharing our knowledge widely.

• Explore options to add staff to work on equity, diversity, inclusivity, accessibility, and anti-racism.
• Implement DCOR’s EDI strategy and adapt policies for alignment.
• Work with community partners and stakeholders to build relationships with underserved communities and identify how DCOR can reach and work more effectively with and for them.
• Use our service and survey data to identify community and volunteer needs.

3. The DCOR staff and volunteer experience is a model of excellence.
We will provide staff and volunteers with an exceptional experience from the point of application, supporting them throughout their journey, providing ongoing training to upgrade their skills, and creating competency by design tailored to the needs of the communities we serve.

• Prepare infrastructure and processes for a hybrid service provision.
• Improve volunteer recognition, foster a sense of belonging, and grow opportunities for volunteer interaction.
• Enhance in-service training for volunteers to refresh and improve key skills
• Develop internal and external communications guidelines
• Update Human Resources Policy for employees.