The Chinese Emotional Support Hotline is an Alberta wide initiative where our hotline provides emotional support, crisis intervention, needs assessment and resource referral services targeting the Chinese community, helping to overcome language & cultural barriers. The hotline was recently launched on April 12, 2021. Since then, the service has expanded to 24/7 operations and grown to more than 100 volunteers/supervisors and 20 staff members. The project has also received successful funding from the Alberta government and City of Calgary. 
The hotline is a program is running under ECSSEN Career School, a registered non-profit charity helping immigrants gain Canadian experience and contribute their skills to the local community. The hotline is integrated with ECSSEN’s other programs including their free Food/Bread Delivery Program where our hotline helps to do direct intake for these other social service supports. 

Interested in volunteering?
We are always looking for new volunteers to staff our hotline! Please apply by filling out our application form HERE.

Our current volunteer opportunities:

• Hotline Listener Volunteers
• Hotline Supervisor Volunteers

Chinese Emotional Support Hotline Volunteers

Founded in 2004, ECSSEN Career School is a non-profit registered charity in Alberta Our mission is to support immigrant newcomers and socially disadvantaged to become productive members of society by providing career development opportunities, social service programs and other community-based support. .

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, the Charity sees more and more urgent need for emotional support from Chinese community. We have recently launched a Chinese Emotional Support Hotline to help meet this pressing need.

The hotline was officially opened on April 12th, 2021 and is currently open 24/7/365. Our hotline phone number is 587-997-5977, free for anyone to call within Alberta. Our hotline is currently staffed by trained volunteers.

Please use this link to apply: https://forms.gle/HVGG6zgB2CuZXYpS8 or email to [email protected] if you cannot access this link.

Hotline Listener Volunteers:

Time commitment = 2 hours per week

• Answering phone calls and listening callers through their stress, anxiety and other
• Providing information and making referrals to community service agencies
• Recognizing risk factors including, but not limited to, suicide, child safety, self-harm, and
• domestic violence, and addressing them with supervisors and crisis response services
• Must be fluent in Chinese (Mandarin) + have basic English skills
• Work from home

Hotline Supervisor Volunteers:

Time commitment = 4 hours per week

• Help monitor our frontline volunteer listener’s calls, provide feedback and act as a point
• of contact during volunteer shifts for any guidance
• Assisting volunteers in communication & providing emergency response plans during
• crisis situations (i.e. suicide, family violence, etc.)
• Help our volunteers search for community resources during their shift
• Must have relevant education or experience in related fields such as social work,
• psychology, counselling, mental health, helpline volunteering, community resource work,
• Must be fluent in both English & Chinese (Mandarin)
• Work from home

Work location: working from home

Closing date: until filled

Work location: working from home

Closing date: until filled