Lantern Path Counselling
Cory Stevens, RCC
Calling a Crisis Line: What to Expect
What actually happens when you reach out?
Note: If you are in crisis and need immediate support, call 310-6789 (no area code needed). This service offers 24/7 mental health support, information, and referrals. Alternatively, dial 911 or visit the emergency department of your nearest hospital.
Crisis lines are an incredibly valuable resource. They are available 24/7 and can provide emotional support, as well as information and referrals. Unfortunately, it can be really challenging to think about calling in to a crisis line if you’ve never used one before. Sometimes the lack of familiarity can serve as a barrier preventing you from accessing a resource that might be really beneficial, so I’m writing this article to help set some basic expectations about what it might be like to call into a crisis line. I’m writing this based on my knowledge as an RCC, but also drawing on years of experience as the Crisis Line Program Facilitator for the Kootenays branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
What Are Crisis Lines and How Can They Help?
Generally speaking, crisis lines such as 310-Mental Health (310-6789 – no area code needed) and 1-800-SUICIDE tend to be quite similar in their approach. They are operated by trained staff and volunteers who are instructed to provide support to callers in a particular way. They tend to use active listening skills to ensure that they’re hearing and understanding callers effectively. Active listening is a set of communication practices that involves giving your full attention, reflecting back what you’ve heard, and responding in ways that signal genuine understanding. It can include skills like paraphrasing, asking open-ended questions, and allowing for silence without rushing to fill it. As a counsellor, I use active listening in every single one of my client sessions.
To some degree, crisis lines can also assist with problem solving by supporting callers in identifying and exploring their options and alternatives, as well as providing information and referrals. Crisis line workers are unlikely to give direct advice, since advice-giving tends to undermine the agency and autonomy of the person receiving it, but they might instead ask what has helped before in similar circumstances, ask how you might feel about pursuing a particular course of action, or search their database for resources or services that you could access that might help you move toward your goals. The database that crisis lines use is somewhat similar to the BC 211 database.
What is the Experience Like?
Let’s use a support line like 310-Mental Health as an example. When you dial in, depending on call volume and whether any Crisis Line Workers are immediately available, you may be placed on hold for a few minutes. After a short time, someone will greet you and ask how they can help, or what kind of support that you’re looking for. Everything said in your call remains private and confidential. Calls are recorded, but the recordings are held to the same strict standards of confidentiality. Just like with counselling, there are some exceptions – if a Crisis Line Worker identifies a significant, immediate threat to your safety, they may need to involve some external support to ensure that you’re able to stay safe.
Why Would I Call a Crisis Line?
If you are feeling like you’re struggling with self-harm or suicidal ideation and you’re worried about your ability to keep yourself safe, I would encourage you to call a crisis line for support. Crisis Line Workers are trained in risk assessment, and if they have reason to believe your safety may be at risk, they will ask a simple series of questions to determine how they can best help you. The outcome of this could be anything from just safety planning over the phone, to setting up a wellness check to have someone come and look in on you, or even arranging for transportation to a hospital if needed.
In my personal opinion, crisis lines are an under-utilized resource, and one of the significant barriers to accessing them is that people either don’t know about the service or they’re anxious about trying it out for the first time. If you have any comments or questions about the process of reaching out to a crisis line or if you feel that there are important elements of the process that haven’t been covered here, please feel free to email me directly at cory@lanternpath.ca.
FAQs
What if I’m worried about wasting the Crisis Line Workers’ time?
Crisis line coverage and call volume may vary from call center to call center, but in my experience, Crisis Line Workers are required to show up and stay for the full duration of their shift regardless of how many people call. If no one calls, they’re often just sitting around bored and hoping that someone will call.
Do I have to be actively in crisis in order to call?
No. In fact, I recommend against calling for the first time when you’re in crisis. Even if you’re just having a rough day or have questions about their service, it might be a good idea to call for the first time when you’re not in crisis. That way, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect and may be more likely to call in a time of significant distress.
How long can I talk for?
There is a lot of flexibility in how long calls can last for. Many crisis line calls last for only a short time (10-20 minutes), but might last quite a bit longer if the caller seems to need more support or if there may be safety concerns.