Crisis line services continue to be available 24/7, but a new 988 hotline will come online late next year making them easier to access. (Dreamstime)

By Alex Rawnsley

dial 988

New crisis hotline number ‘in everyone’s best interests’ amid rising call volume on Island

Aug 31, 2022 | 3:54 PM

NANAIMO — Access to mental health and crisis supports is getting easier.

Beginning November 2023, a new national hotline number of 9-8-8 will come online, connecting people in need to a variety of crisis lines and mental health supports over the phone or via text.

Elizabeth Newcombe, executive director of the Vancouver Island Crisis Society, told NanaimoNewsNOW the expanded and easier to reach service will provide better, quicker care without tying up police, fire or ambulance resources.

“We would call 911 when we want a mental health check, but sometimes we already know police are stretched and if we can field those calls from the mental health perspective, support callers and avoid a 911 call, that’s in everyone’s best interests.”

Newcombe said of the calls they receive, crisis line workers are able to help de-escalate a person in around 90 per cent of cases.

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The others are dealt with through additional checks or connections to local services.

“We do follow-up calls with people, we do third-party outreach calls,” Newcombe added. “We can support callers who are in mental health distress and allow 911 to do the work they’re doing. We can work in partnership.”

A well-functioning crisis line service can be a crucial intervention for mental health challenges, including suicidal tendencies.

Callers can choose to remain anonymous, allowing for an added layer of security in reaching out for help.

“Whereas if you’re calling 911, people have a fear sometimes of police arriving at the door or implications with their work, there’s a safety in calling a crisis line to get the support you’re needing.”

Unsurprisingly, crisis lines across the country saw a spike in call volumes throughout the pandemic.

Call centres in B.C. saw a 90 per cent increase in the number of requests for help, while the Vancouver Island crisis line took over 40,000 interactions last year alone.

Crisis lines will spend the next 14 months readying for the handover and an expected increase in call volume once more.

Newcombe said partnerships need to be strengthened and more technology put in place to handle the switch.

“It’s more about access. We’re already doing the work, it’s resourcing it funding-wise to field the extra calls coming in.”

The move will bring Canada in line with the United States, which launched its 988 service last month.

Existing resources for mental health supports can be accessed through the Vancouver Island Crisis Line at 1-888-494-3888, or Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566.

Text services are also available daily between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. at 250-800-3806

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