About ConnecTeen | Youth Helpline

No Judgments. No Preconceptions. Just a Team Ready to Help.

Growing up can be tough, and we know that there are things that you can’t talk about with your parents or friends. ConnecTeen, Canada’s first peer-based chat and text helpline, gives you the space to talk about your problems confidentially with someone who understands—someone just like YOU.

Here, there is no judgment, no preconceptions, and everything is completely confidential. Talk about the things on your mind and be heard on your terms.

Whether you have a question, a concern, or simply need someone to talk to, we’re here to help. One of our peer support members is always ready to help—reach out to us today.

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YOUth Deserve a Moment: Our Promise to You

Confidentiality

Conversations are strictly confidential, ensuring the privacy of personal details. Here, young people can openly discuss struggles without fear of judgment or repercussions.

Acceptance

We value your story and offer a safe space for sharing your experiences without judgment. By fostering acceptance, we help you develop resilience in the face of challenges.

Growth

At ConnecTeen, we are dedicated to supporting the growth and well-being of young people, empowering them to overcome challenges and move forward with strength and courage.

Trust

Trust forms a secure foundation for open expression of thoughts and feelings. We aim to build trusting relationships, fostering an environment where struggles can be openly discussed with support.

Our History

1983

Distress Centre Calgary launches Teen Line, a youth-focused helpline specifically designed to help kids navigate issues and questions in their lives.

2011

Teen Line rebranded to ConnecTeen and introduced chat support to help even more youths than ever before.

2013

Upon realizing that Teen Line was only averaging about 1000+ calls a year compared to Distress Centre’s 75–80,000 calls, we opened our text and chat helpline. This gave young people more opportunities to connect with us rather than just calling.

2017

By 2017, demand for our services grew by 82%, with demand for our texting services increasing to 148% compared to the previous year. By opening up new ways to communicate, we were able to help more youths when they needed us.

2021

In 2021, we began offering 24/7 text and chat services to better accommodate youths in their time of need.

Today & Beyond

Today, our goal is to help more youths in ways that matter most to them. This includes creating fundraisers, hosting memorable events, and offering new ways to communicate so youths can find the support they need.

A Proud Part of Distress Centre

We’re a proud part of Distress Centre Calgary, an organization committed to helping people through crisis support, professional counselling, and so much more—all at no cost.

Distress Centre provides support for people across Calgary and Southern Alberta. Learn more about them and their commitment to our community.

Distress Centre

Our Code of Ethics

ConnecTeen is a program of Distress Centre Calgary, which upholds the guidelines of the Canadian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics.

The Code of Ethics sets out strict ground rules about how we treat your personal information. This can include your name, phone number, email, or IP address.

These rules help ensure we won’t share any of your information unless:

You straight-up tell us that you are ok with us sharing information for specific reasons and to specific agencies or people you would like to help you.
Distress Centre believes that there is a strong risk of harm to yourself or another person (we decide this through our conversation with you). If we feel there is a serious risk of harm, our Code of Ethics, the law, and conscience tell us to take as many steps as we reasonably can to prevent it, including contacting the police or other authorities.
If we are required by the law, such as a legal subpoena (an order from a judge), to report about your use of Distress Centre services.

Distress Centre wants to work with you as much as we can to ensure you’re safe. We’ll work to figure out what your concerns are using your voice as much as possible to reduce the risks to safety before we take steps like sharing your information without you knowing about it.

If you have any more questions about how we keep your information confidential, you can email us at info@distresscentre.com.

Volunteer with Us

Make a difference and volunteer with ConnecTeen. Get specialized training from mental health and crisis experts to support those who need it most.

Our volunteers are at the heart of what our organization offers—you could say they are our superheroes. Learn more about our volunteer opportunities, and reach out to us today.

Volunteering for Teens

Volunteering for Adults