Distress Centre Durham

What Distress Centre Durham does

Distress Centre Durham (DCD) is a community-based charitable organization that has operated continuously since 1970 as part of Lakeridge Health's Mental Health and Addictions services in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. The organization delivers a phone-based helpline service staffed by specially trained volunteer responders, available 24/7 via local (905-430-2522) and toll-free (1-800-452-0688) numbers without requiring a referral or wait time. Services include emotional support and encouragement, crisis management, suicide risk assessment, community resource referrals, and emergency intervention. DCD also operates a call-out program providing scheduled wellness check-in calls to community members including seniors, though this program is currently not accepting new referrals. Suicide Survivors Program referrals are routed through Central Connect within the Lakeridge Health network.

The organization's technology infrastructure is telephone-based with no proprietary software, digital platforms, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed. Distribution is exclusively via voice, with no mobile applications, web chat, SMS, or digital intake channels in operation. The customer base is the general Durham Region community — individuals in mental health crisis, seniors and socially isolated individuals, and suicide survivors — none of whom are charged fees.

DCD's business model is purely donation-funded, with no commercial revenue streams, no pricing tiers, and no fee-for-service component. The organization's sustainability depends entirely on community contributions, supplemented by institutional support and integration within the Lakeridge Health public hospital network (itself funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health). Marketing and demand generation occur passively through healthcare provider referrals within the Lakeridge Health ecosystem rather than through active consumer marketing channels. The organization has 1-10 employees and relies on an undisclosed number of trained volunteer responders as its primary service delivery workforce.

Name

Distress Centre Durham

Legal name

Lakeridge Health

Website

https://distresscentredurham.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Distress Centre Durham is a donation-funded, volunteer-staffed community helpline operating since 1970 under Lakeridge Health, providing 24/7 telephone-based emotional support, crisis intervention, and suicide risk assessment to Durham Region, Ontario residents at no cost.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Crisis Support

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Management (988/Hotlines/Mobile Crisis Coordination) (HLAEAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGAEAH)

Keywords

• Crisis helpline services
• Mental health support
• Emotional support hotline
• Community crisis intervention
• Suicide prevention support

Headquarters

HQ city

Whitby

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donated Funds: DCD support services rely solely on donated funds for all operations. Without generous community support, this essential service would not be sustainable. No commercial revenue model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Distress Centre Durham runs a free, telephone-based Help Line staffed by specially trained volunteer responders that delivers emotional support, crisis management, suicide risk assessment, community resource referrals, and emergency intervention to Durham Region residents without referral or wait time. The organization also operates a call-out program providing scheduled wellness check-in calls for seniors and isolated community members, and routes Suicide Survivors Program referrals through Lakeridge Health's Central Connect.

Product overview

Distress Centre Durham offers community-based mental health crisis support through a phone helpline staffed by trained volunteer responders, offering emotional support, crisis management, suicide risk assessment, community resource referrals, and emergency intervention. They also operate a call-out program for scheduled check-in calls with vulnerable community members (currently not accepting new referrals).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Help Line (Distress Lines) Free, 24/7 telephone-based emotional support service staffed by specially trained volunteer responders, providing emotional support and encouragement, crisis management, suicide risk assessment, community resource/referral information, and emergency intervention to Durham Region community members without referral or wait time. Accessible via 905-430-2522 (local) or 1-800-452-0688 (toll-free).
• Call-Out Program Scheduled outbound wellness check-in calls from trained volunteers to community members, including seniors, who benefit from regular emotional support contact and may be experiencing isolation or loneliness. The program is not currently accepting new referrals per the source.
• Suicide Survivors Program Referral Referral pathway directing family members and loved ones of suicide victims to Central Connect within Lakeridge Health's Mental Health and Addictions services for specialized post-crisis grief support and resources. Contact: 905-440-7534 (toll-free 1-833-392-7363).

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lakeridge HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistress Centre Durham is operated as a community-based program under the Lakeridge Health Mental Health and Addictions services umbrella. Lakeridge Health provides institutional support and integration within the broader hospital network. DCD runs a call-out program for seniors and community members, with Suicide Survivors Program referrals directed to Central Connect within Lakeridge Health.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Samaritans (UK & ROI): Long-standing UK/Ireland charity operating a 24/7 emotional support helpline staffed by volunteers. Highly comparable historical model to DCD — community-based, volunteer-staffed, donation-funded.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): US-wide three-digit crisis line with massive federal backing and a national network of local crisis centres. Functionally analogous to DCD's helpline but operates at national scale with significant public funding.

Direct peers

• Kids Help Phone: Canada's national 24/7 e-mental health service offering phone, text, and chat crisis support to youth. Directly comparable as a volunteer/staff-staffed crisis helpline, though broader in reach and digitally enabled.
• Distress Centre Calgary: Calgary-based community distress centre operating a 24/7 crisis helpline plus specialized programs. Closest regional analogue to DCD in terms of volunteer-driven phone crisis support in a single Canadian metro area.
• Talk Suicide Canada / Crisis Services Canada: National Canadian suicide prevention and crisis support network operating multilingual 24/7 phone and text lines. Directly comparable in mission and service modality, with much broader national scope than DCD.
• ConnexOntario (211 Ontario): Ontario-wide helpline and chat service providing information and referral for mental health, addictions, and crisis services — directly comparable in function to DCD's resource-referral and crisis-support mandate, though regional/provincial in scope.
• Toronto 211 / Distress Centres of Toronto: Toronto's 211 community information line and related distress services, providing crisis support and resource referral across the GTA — comparable in service model and community-based delivery, though in an adjacent region.

Others

• Befrienders Worldwide: Global network of emotional support and suicide prevention helplines. Comparable as an umbrella/peer organization to DCD's mission of volunteer-driven emotional support, though operating as a coordinating network rather than a direct service provider.

Regional players

• Lifeline Australia: Australia's national 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention service offering phone, text, and in-person support. Closely comparable service model, but operates across Australia rather than Ontario.
• BC Crisis Centre / Crisis Support Line (Telecare): British Columbia's provincial crisis line network offering 24/7 phone, text, and chat support. Comparable in mission and modality but regionally focused on BC rather than Ontario.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/durhamdistress
• YouTubeyoutube.com/lakeridgehealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/lakeridgehealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1409907
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakeridge.health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Distress Centre Durham