A new Canada-wide mental health crisis line is launching Nov. 30 with the help of two local organizations.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is partnering with the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington (CMHA WW) and Compass Community Services to launch the 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline, a new three-digit Canada-wide helpline aimed at diverting emergency mental health calls to local service providers, offering urgent mental health support in realtime.
“This was put into place ultimately because we know suicide affects people of all ages and backgrounds across Canada,” Jeff Stanlick, Director of Services with CMHA WW.
Stanlick said approximately 12 people die by suicide every day across the country.
“Having an urgent, live support by phone and text across the country will offer people the support they need to cope and find a path to safety. It’s really for people who are thinking of suicide, or for people who are worried about someone else,” he said.
The line is accessible by text and phone 24/7, and will offer bilingual support from trained responders who can assess needs and direct callers to resources and services in the community. It includes 18 mental health providers in Ontario and a total of 40 providers across Canada including CAMH, nine CMHA branches, distress call centres and single service agencies.
Callers in Guelph and Wellington County will be routed to either Compass Community Services or CMHA WW, who will have staff trained in suicide prevention answering phones.
“The staff are ordinary people, and they also will listen with compassion, without judgement, and give people space to talk,” Stanlick said.
When someone calls or texts the line, there will be an automated message letting them know they’ve contacted the right number, as well as some follow up questions.
For instance, it will ask whether the caller would like to talk to someone in English or French, if they would like to speak with a responder who has support supporting First Nations, Inuit, Métis, or children if they are under the age of 18.
Stanlick said he isn’t sure what call volumes will look like upon launching, and asks that people stay on the line even if there is a bit of a wait.
As the 9-8-8 line is meant as an urgent response, Stanlick said he encourages people to continue calling HERE 24/7 for ongoing support and referrals.
“We continue to see a lot of need in the community,” he said, adding that people may be dealing with more pressures than they have in the past, including high cost of living, substance use and mental health concerns.
“The need is there, and we know that from the number of calls that we get, that need is not going away,” he said. “So having this opportunity is another welcome addition to the menu of services that people can access.”