Crisis and Distress Lines - CAN/HSO 22006:2026 (E)
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About This Standard
CAN/HSO 22006:2026 (E) Crisis and Distress Lines is a new National Standard of Canada. The goal is to promote a trauma-informed, people-centred approach to telephone-, chat- and text-based crisis care that meets the needs and preferences of service users, caregivers and the communities they serve.
The standard was developed using published evidence and input from diverse interest holders, including people with lived experience. Gender-disaggregated data was considered during the literature review. Additionally, gender responsiveness was addressed through inclusive consultation and integration of equity, diversity, and cultural
safety principles. Physical, physiological, and social gender considerations informed requirements for individualized care and decision-making. The technical committee included experts and users from multiple sectors, and the scope spans all populations and care settings, embedding gender equity throughout technical content.
The content of this standard is structured into the following sections:
- Governance and Leadership
- Service Design
- Technology
- Service User Rights
- Service Delivery
- Service User Autonomy and Safety
- Healthy and Competent Workforce
- Continuous Quality Improvement
The target audiences for this standard include service users, their care partners, and members of the workforce and organizational leaders of all organizations that deliver crisis and distress line services.
This standard guides organizations that deliver crisis and distress line services to
- provide evidence-informed, people-centred services that value compassion, respect, dignity, trust, and autonomy;
- work in a team-based way to deliver culturally safe and trauma-informed care to meet service users' goals, abilities, and preferences;
- enable a healthy and competent workforce; and
- uphold strong practices and a culture that is outcome-focused and committed to continuous learning and quality improvement.
In addition to the above, the standard also provides
- external assessment bodies with evidence-informed content that can be used in assessment programs; and
- decision makers with a quality and safety blueprint to guide policy development and requirements for the delivery of high-quality, people-centred services and enable a healthy and competent workforce.
The published evidence used to inform this standard can be found in the bibliography.
This standard is intended to be used as part of a conformity assessment. This standard will undergo periodic maintenance. HSO will review and publish this standard on a schedule not to exceed five years from the date of publication.
Scope
Purpose
This standard sets measurable, outcome-based requirements to improve the quality and safety of crisis line services. It promotes a trauma-informed, people-centred approach to telephone-, chat-, and text-based crisis care that meets the needs and preferences of service users, caregivers and the communities they serve.
This standard does not prescribe technical or security requirements for crisis and distress lines.
Applicability
The standard will apply to all crisis line services, including general and population-specific crisis lines, such as those serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis, youth and young adults, and veterans.
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