The Distress Centre provides a free and confidential active listening service, offering suicide prevention, crisis intervention, emotional support, information and referrals to the citizens of Ottawa, the Renfrew County, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry and Akwesasne Territory, the Counties of Grey and Bruce, West Québec, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

The Centre maintains excellent relationships with its funders, either through traditional funding contributions or through purchase of service agreements. Our funding partners include Centraide Outaouais, the City of Ottawa, the Cornwall Community Hospital, Hawkesbury and District General Hospital, Hôpital Montfort, the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Help Line, the Ottawa Hospital, the Pembroke Regional Hospital and United Way/Centraide East Ontario.

If you are interested in applying, please submit a cover letter, your resume, and the names and contact information of three references to the Executive Director.

After submitting your application, the Executive Director will contact you by e-mail to confirm receipt of your application which will be forwarded to the President of the Board.  The President will contact you promptly by phone to explain the application process and timelines in more details.

It is difficult to provide a definitive timeline, as it depends on the time of year you apply.  Where possible, the Distress Centre prefers to add new Board members only at the Annual General Meeting which is held in June of each year, as new Board members must be voted in by the Distress Centre's general assembly.

The Board of Directors reviews all applications.  Some applicants are then invited to participate in an interview.  After the interviews are conducted, reference checks will be completed.  The Board of Directors then makes its decision about which successful applicant(s) should be invited to join the Board of Directors.  After receiving Board approval, the applicant’s name is then submitted to the general assembly of the Distress Centre for a vote. Before joining the Board, the applicant must obtain a police records check, if they have not already done so through the Distress Centre's volunteer Crisis Line Responder program.