Telecare Distress Centre of Peterborough is a free, anonymous and strictly confidential 24-hour call line for people in need of a friendly person who will listen.
Their phones are answered by volunteers who are good listeners, enjoy talking to people and are trained to handle crisis situations. The volunteers and the callers they support at Telecare Distress Centre come from a broad cross section of our community. The organization currently has a staff of 90 volunteers answering the phones, but is currently recruiting more volunteers in order to boost the number of telephone lines they operate to address growing call volumes.
This crisis service began in 1977 as an ecumenical outreach program where volunteers began to provide compassion and offer support to lonely and struggling members of the community. The Peterborough location is now one of four Telecare centres across Canada. Their goal is to have every caller obtain access to a caring, empathetic and non-judgemental listener who provides crisis intervention and support. To deliver that kind of service requires a special kind of person; one who is compassionate, empathetic and mature and can keep information confidential.
The organization invests a great deal in their volunteers before they are handed a phone. An extensive, 50 hour training program begins with a virtual introductory session on Zoom followed by weekly group sessions twice a week as well as individual independent units. Training is designed to build listening skills, awareness of social, emotional, psychological and spiritual needs and relies on discussion and role playing.
Upon completing of the training, further screening confirms the suitability of volunteer candidates. It is critical that the individuals have the maturity to cope with the more challenging topics such as sexual abuse and other forms of trauma they may encounter in discussions with callers. Other common issues are relationships, finances, grief and loss, depression and substance abuse.
Volunteers commit to two, eight hour shifts per month and are supported by a trainer at their side for their first three shifts to ensure they are prepared for the work. While the service is provided over the phone, volunteers operate on-site and not from home. Callers remain anonymous and their conversations are confidential. When appropriate, the clients can be referred to community agencies for further assistance.
For more information about this organization, visit their website at www.telecarepeterborough.org, where you can submit an online application to join the ranks of their volunteers. The next training program begins later this month with the first session running from 7 to 9pm on April 28th. Sessions continue Monday and Thursday evenings until mid-June. KG
