Crisis Centre for Northern BC

What Crisis Centre for Northern BC does

The Crisis Centre for Northern BC (legally the Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Information Centre for Northern BC) is a volunteer-based non-profit society incorporated in British Columbia, Canada, operating continuously from Prince George since 1970. It delivers 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to residents of Northern BC, a service area spanning from Quesnel to the Yukon border and from Haida Gwaii to the Alberta border. Core service delivery runs through multiple telephone lines (24-Hour Crisis Line, Youth Support Line, 1-800-SUICIDE, 310-Mental Health), online youth chat (4-10 PM daily via ChatBeacon), the national 9-8-8 helpline partnership, and structured educational workshops (ASIST, COPE, Lifelines, GRASP, Self-Care 101, Reaching Out) delivered to schools, healthcare organizations, and community groups. The volunteer responder model is anchored by 70+ hours of intensive training, including ASIST certification through Living Works, and the organization maintains a Community Resource Directory of more than 2,000 listings.

Operationally, the Centre is accredited by the American Association of Suicidology (since 2002) and answered over 18,000 crisis calls annually (11,000 local plus 7,000 national via 1-800-SUICIDE and Talk Suicide Canada), with more than 70% of calls originating from people in active crisis. Technology infrastructure is deliberately low-tech and human-centric: standard telephony, ChatBeacon chat platform, CanadaHelps donation processing, and an in-house resource directory, with no disclosed AI, API, or mobile application layer.

The business model is a non-profit, grant-and-donation-funded hybrid. Primary funding comes from BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services (Provincial Health Services Authority), United Way of Northern BC, City of Prince George, and provincial Community Gaming Grants, supplemented by individual donations (CanadaHelps), fee-for-service workshops, and partnership support from Crisis Services Canada and Living Works. End-user services are free; workshops are split between free (within the Northern Health service region) and fee-for-service (for organizations). The organization has no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or parent company, and is governed by a board of directors under Executive Director Riley Skinner.

Name

Crisis Centre for Northern BC

Legal name

Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Information Centre for Northern BC

Website

https://crisis-centre.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Crisis Centre for Northern BC is a volunteer-based non-profit operating since 1970 from Prince George, providing 24/7 crisis intervention, suicide prevention phone lines, youth chat, and educational workshops to residents across Northern British Columbia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crisis Intervention Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAH

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYHLAEAHAK

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

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Health Insurance & Managed Care/Managed Behavioral Health (MBHO)

Keywords

• Crisis intervention services
• Suicide prevention support
• Mental health helpline
• Youth peer support
• Community crisis education

Headquarters

HQ city

Prince George

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Health Services Funding: Primary funding from BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, a program of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). Provides operational funding for crisis line services.
2. Municipal and Regional Funding: Funding from United Way of Northern BC and City of Prince George for community services and operations
3. Community Gaming Grant: Provincial gaming grant funding for non-profit operations
4. Donations: Individual donations accepted via Canada Helps online platform, by phone, or by mail. Tax receipts issued for donations.
5. Workshop Fees: Fee-for-service workshops offered alongside free workshops within the Northern Health service region for suicide-safer community training

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Crisis Centre for Northern BC provides free, 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to residents of northern British Columbia. Core services include toll-free crisis phone lines, a youth support chat platform, partnerships with national crisis lines (9-8-8 and 1-800-SUICIDE), and standardized mental health first-aid workshops (ASIST, safeTALK) delivered to organizations and community groups.

Product overview

The Crisis Centre for Northern BC is a non-profit organization providing a unified suite of crisis intervention and suicide prevention services across Northern British Columbia. The core offering consists of multiple 24/7 phone crisis lines (24-Hour Crisis Line, Youth Support Line, 1-800-SUICIDE, 310-Mental Health Line) plus the 9-8-8 partnership, complemented by a Youth Support Chat platform. Education and training products include ASIST workshops, Crisis Communication Skills, and youth-specific programs (COPE, Lifelines, GRASP, Self-Care 101, Reaching Out). Additional services include the Couch Conversations podcast and Community Resource Directory. The organization answers over 11,000 local calls and 7,000 national calls annually, with over 70% from people in crisis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24-Hour Crisis Line A 24-hour toll-free crisis intervention telephone line staffed by trained volunteers for residents of northern British Columbia experiencing emotional distress, mental health crisis, or suicidal thoughts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 18,000 total calls answered annually (11,000 local + 7,000 national)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Crisis Services CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership to provide Talk Suicide - Canada's first national suicide prevention line. Crisis Centre picked up province-wide line in collaboration with Crisis Line Association of BC.
• Crisis Line Association of British ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Association membership enabling the Centre to operate province-wide lines including 310-MENTALHEALTH in 2015
• BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services (PHSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 1970Primary provincial funder through the Provincial Health Services Authority. BC's crisis lines are funded by BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, providing operational support for 24/7 phone services and crisis intervention programs.
• Northern Health AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned Memorandum of Agreement in 2011 for caller follow-up and referrals; strengthened ties for coordinated crisis response in Northern BC
• 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis HelplinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial 9-8-8 partner providing existing crisis services and taking 9-8-8 calls and texts to connect callers with responders in their local community across Canada.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kids Help Phone: Canada's national 24/7 e-mental health service for youth offering phone, text, and live chat support. Directly comparable to the Centre's Youth Support Line and Youth Support Chat, and a primary competitor for youth crisis demand across Canada including Northern BC.
• Crisis Services Canada (Talk Suicide Canada): National coordinator of Canada's suicide prevention and 9-8-8 crisis line network. Crisis Centre for Northern BC is a 9-8-8 and Talk Suicide Canada partner, making Crisis Services Canada its most direct national counterpart and operational collaborator.
• Fraser Health Crisis Line: Crisis line operated by Fraser Health Authority serving the Fraser Valley region of BC. Comparable in being a regional, health-authority-affiliated crisis line operating within the same provincial PHSA funding ecosystem.
• BC 211: Provincial information and referral service connecting BC residents to community, social, health, and government resources. Overlaps with the Centre's Community Resource Directory and referral services, and operates with similar non-profit/social-service funding dynamics.
• Vancouver Island Crisis Line: BC regional crisis line operating 24/7 phone and chat services across Vancouver Island. Closest in-region peer to Crisis Centre for Northern BC, with a similar PHSA-funded, volunteer-based operating model and overlapping crisis line portfolio.
• Hope for Wellness Helpline: National helpline offering 24/7 mental health counselling and crisis intervention to Indigenous peoples across Canada. Comparable as a culturally-targeted crisis hotline, though serving a different demographic than the Centre's general Northern BC population.

Emerging players

• Wellness Together Canada: Government-funded portal offering free mental health and substance use support, including text-based crisis support, to Canadians. Represents a federally scaled, digital-first alternative that competes with the Centre for the same end-user demand.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) - BC Division: National non-profit providing a broad portfolio of mental health services, education, and advocacy across BC. Overlaps with the Centre's mental health support, education, and community outreach activities but at a much larger scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crisis-prevention-intervention-information-centre-for-northern-bc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Crisis Centre for Northern BC