‘A form of PTSD’: Emotional burden of helping unhoused in downtown Calgary
Posted Sep 24, 2026 4:58 pm.
The trauma of Calgary’s unhoused street crisis is not limited to those living it.
Frontline workers and volunteers who respond to overdoses, mental health crises and emergencies on the city’s streets say the emotional impact can linger long after the moment has passed, sometimes leading to symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Yeah definitely, there is a form of PTSD from seeing people in desperate situations,” said Karen McPherson, former director of operations with BeTheChangeYYC.
Spend even a few minutes in Calgary’s downtown core and signs of struggle are easy to find. Someone overdosing on a sidewalk. Someone in crisis. Someone needing help.
There are also the people who stop to offer that help.
McPherson said the public often overlooks the lasting effects on those who regularly respond to emergencies involving vulnerable populations.
“What we don’t see are the effects on the people that are helping… the effects on first-line responders, whether they’re professionals through the fire department or an EMT or whether they’re a volunteer,” she said.
McPherson, who spent years working in outreach, admits she still lives with PTSD and now intentionally avoids Calgary’s downtown core.
The growing demands on frontline workers are reflected in statistics from the Calgary Firefighters Association showing crews responded to 143 per cent more overdose calls between January and July 2026 compared with the same period last year.
For Garth Paynter, team lead of outreach services with BeTheChangeYYC, responding to emergencies is a routine part of the job. Now in his 11th year helping people on Calgary’s streets, he said the work often requires split-second decisions.
“There’s definitely moments when I have to assess a situation and react within seconds,” Paynter said. “I am going to be the first response to anything that happens out there, so if there is someone who becomes a little agitated or aggressive, or if there’s an overdose, I’m going to deal with that myself.”
McPherson said repeated exposure to crises can intensify feelings of empathy, but it can also create a sense of helplessness when larger systemic issues remain unresolved.
“I already had quite a bit of empathy for the circumstances people found themselves in and it’s really compounded by the feeling of helplessness… how are we going to change this, who’s making this change?” she said.
Both McPherson and Paynter say support systems are essential for anyone working on the front lines, whether that means talking with friends, colleagues or mental health professionals.
“You have to do self care, don’t go home and stew on this or you’ll be the next one with a mental health condition or abuse disorder,” Paynter said. “You’re just going to burn out.”
As calls for help continue across Calgary, frontline workers say caring for their own mental health is just as important as caring for those they serve.
