Community Feedback & Complaints

Distress Centres is committed to listening to our community. If you would like to leave feedback, you can contact us in one of three ways:

• Email your comments to info@dcogt.com. Please put “FEEDBACK” in the subject line.
• Call and leave a message on our feedback line at 416-486-3180. If requested, you will receive a response within one week. If you would like to hear back from one of our Distress Centres staff members regarding your comment, please be sure to include your contact information.
• Mail your comments to the address below. Please note it can take up to four weeks to receive a mailed, written response.

External Complaint Policy

This Policy is intended to address complaints (“Complaints”) received from persons who are not affiliated with Distress Centres (that is, a person who is not a Volunteer, Staff, Management and/or a Director).

Distress Centres values feedback and will receive and address Complaints in a fair and professional manner.

Upon receipt, Complaints will be referred to the appropriate Staff member (usually the relevant Program Manager). The Staff member will respond to the Complaint by:

• Logging the Complaint and the steps taken in response to it, in a record kept for the purpose;
• Conducting a reasonable investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Complaint;
• Taking appropriate action to remedy the situation described in the Complaint;
• Taking appropriate action to prevent recurrence of a similar situation; and
• If the person making the Complaint provided contact information, contacting that person to advise them that steps were taken to address the Complaint, and (if appropriate in the circumstances) to inform them of the nature of the steps taken.

Timelines and Escalation

• Complaints will be logged, investigated, acted upon, and responded to (if applicable) within 7 days of receipt. In very unusual circumstances which require more time to investigate and act upon, the complaint should be logged and investigation started within 7 days of receipt and a response given (if applicable), giving an approximate time frame to investigate and act upon the complaint.
• If the Complaint is addressed by a Staff member, and if either the person making the Complaint or the person who is the subject of the Complaint expresses dissatisfaction with the steps taken by the Staff member, the matter shall be referred to the Executive Director.
• The Executive Director may choose to consult with others at any stage of addressing a Complaint.
• The Executive Director shall review the record of all Complaints received on a regular basis and take appropriate action to deal with patterns or trends which may emerge upon review.
• Information facilitating the making of a Complaint, and an outline of the Complaints process, shall be made freely available to any person who may wish to make a Complaint (including, but not limited to, being posted on the Distress Centres website).