Suicide prevention phone lines plagued by delays, mental health advocates say
September 26, 2014
Several of Canada’s 60+ independently run crisis phone lines are receiving increased numbers of calls, but in many cases they are not able respond to these calls immediately. Callers sometimes have to wait 20-40 minutes to speak with someone, or they may hear a recorded message asking them to call back. Mental health advocate Mark Henick said waiting to speak to someone at a crisis line is “quite common,” and that Ontario Ministry of Health guidelines say a crisis call should receive a response within 15 minutes. “Imagine if the same were true for 911,” he said. Some mental health leaders advocate changing Canada’s system to emulate the one in the United States, where calls that come in to the nationwide Lifeline are routed to available services around the country.
Spark Extra! Read SPRC Director Jerry Reed’s Director’s Corner on the vital role of hotlines in the worldwide suicide prevention movement.