A new toll-free, three-digit suicide prevention helpline launched across Canada on Thursday morning.
People having suicidal thoughts or other mental health distress can now call or text 988 to reach a trained responder 24 hours a day, seven days a week 害羞草研究所� no matter where they live in the country.
害羞草研究所淢y main message that I want to say to Canadians is that we see you, we hear you, and that you害羞草研究所檙e not alone. That if you are struggling 害羞草研究所� there is a low-barrier, easy access, warm voice on the other end of the line,害羞草研究所� said Ya害羞草研究所檃ra Saks, federal minister of mental health and addictions, in an interview before the launch.
About 12 people die by suicide in Canada every day, adding up to about 4,500 lives lost each year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. More than 200 people in Canada attempt suicide every day.
The $158.4-million project is funded and overseen by the public health agency and led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
害羞草研究所淣o one will be turned away. Anyone who reaches out to 988 will receive the support that they need,害羞草研究所� said Dr. Allison Crawford, chief medical officer for the helpline and a psychiatrist at CAMH.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 explicitly a suicide prevention service and responders are trained in suicide prevention. But we also understand that people who are struggling with their mental health may not know that they have suicidal ideation,害羞草研究所� she said in an interview.
害羞草研究所淲e do know that (those) people can be at increased risk and will benefit from connecting with 988,害羞草研究所� Crawford said, adding that the helpline is also for people who are worried about someone else who may be at risk for suicide.
The 988 helpline expands on the existing Talk Suicide Canada helpline, which had a toll-free 10-digit number and did not have 24-hour texting service.
In addition to CAMH, the 988 response network is staffed by more than three dozen partner organizations, including Kids Help Phone and community mental health agencies across the country.
That network is designed to link helpline users with a responder 害羞草研究所渁s close to home as possible,害羞草研究所� Crawford said.
That害羞草研究所檚 important because 害羞草研究所渁 call to a crisis line is the first step to getting help. And it害羞草研究所檚 often not the last step,害羞草研究所� said Emma Potter, senior director of service systems at the Canadian Mental Health Association branch in Edmonton, which is one of the partner agencies.
The next step might be to connect the person to local counselling, mental health, or social supports 害羞草研究所� which is easier if the responder is in the community, she said.
An easy-to-remember three-digit number is critical for someone in a mental health crisis, said Al Raimundo, who struggled with suicidal thoughts as a teen and then later as an adult.
Raimundo consulted on the development of the helpline as a person with lived experience and as a mental health advocate.
害羞草研究所淲hen I害羞草研究所檓 in crisis, when I害羞草研究所檓 struggling with my mental health, it really affects my memory. And so while I害羞草研究所檓 doing well, I could remember a nine-digit or 10- digit phone number. When I害羞草研究所檓 struggling, I really can害羞草研究所檛,害羞草研究所� the 34-year-old said in an interview from Vancouver prior to the launch.
Even with 害羞草研究所渁n intimate understanding of the mental health system,害羞草研究所� Raimundo struggled with reaching out for help when they felt suicidal after a cancer diagnosis a couple of years ago.
害羞草研究所淲hen I Googled crisis lines, there were so many and I wasn害羞草研究所檛 sure which one was the right one for me in that moment. It was easier to do nothing than it was to reach out to someone,害羞草研究所� said Raimundo.
Potter agreed that 害羞草研究所渁three-digit number is going to make all of the difference.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲hen you害羞草研究所檙e somebody who is struggling with thoughts of suicide or who is in crisis, trying to find or remember a 10-digit number can be just one step too far for people,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淚 think having that three-digit number that can be utilized (by) both phone and text is really quite significant for our country.害羞草研究所�
The U.S. already has a national suicide and crisis helpline in place and also uses the 988 number.
Saks, the mental health and addictions minister, said the teams building Canada害羞草研究所檚 helpline met regularly with their American counterparts to learn from their experience.
One of the key lessons was a strong demand for connecting by text, she said.
More than 1,000 responders have been trained to work on the 988 helpline so far, with more to come as they continue to expand the service, Saks said.
They are based in a variety of organizations rooted in different cultures including the Indigenous agency Hope for Wellness, she said.
People will be able to access the 988 helpline in English or French, but other languages will also be available through those diverse organizations, Saks said.
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
