Crisis Lines: When To Use Them & Their Purpose
What are they?
Crisis lines or helplines consist of volunteer or mental health counsellors who have been trained in crisis interventions. These resources are open and available 24 hours, 7 days a week, to be accessible at any moment when someone is experiencing a crisis. They are not a replacement for professional therapeutic services, health care services, or immediate emergency services, rather are there to help deescalate a crisis.
What constitutes a crisis?
A crisis is loosely termed for crisis lines as they encourage all individuals to reach out when they feel unsupported, overwhelmed, scared, etc. Crisis can be anything from an anxiety attack to abuse, to venting. The purpose is to have you feel as though you can manage on your own for the remainder of the day.
You may also reach out to crisis lines as a third party, meaning you are reaching out to seek help for someone else. Remember to call 911 if it is an emergency. Otherwise, crisis responders will provide you the support and help to have the right resources to help the person you are looking out for and will inevitably check on how you are doing as well.
Anonymity and Confidentiality
With crisis lines, you can decide to be anonymous, share only your first name, or share who you are. However, that information is confidential, and the crisis responder will also only share their first name. Just as in therapy, there are limits to confidentiality. During risk assessments, if the responder sees that your life is in danger, or someone else’s, then they are obligated to report it to the correct services, whether it be sending emergency services your way, or contacting a social service organization. This would never be done without your knowledge.
How does it help?
Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who is objective about a situation and their only purpose is to help you feel relief for the remainder of the day. Talking to volunteers or counsellors at a crisis line provide you with the immediate support that you may need. By venting, asking for resources, or just knowing that someone out there is making time for you, crisis lines can bring a sense of peace when feeling as though everything is crumbling around you.
For those in therapy, crisis lines can be a resource for some immediate support when in between sessions with your therapist. It can be an extra boost to move forward. If you ever are in crisis, here all most of the crisis lines available (more available per region and province).
Crisis Lines Available Canada Wide:
Wellness Together Canada – Call 1-888-668-6810 or Text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth; Call 1-866-585-0445 or Text WELLNESS to 741741 for adults.
Kids Help Phones – Call 1-800-668-6868 or Text CONNECT to 686868
For Indigenous Peoples Specifically – Call 1-855-242-3310
Crisis Lines Available in Ontario:
ConnexOntario Helpline – Call 1-866-531-2600
BounceBack – Call 1-866-345-0224
211 Ontario – Call 1-877-330-3213
Good2Talk – Call 1-866-925-5454
Crisis Lines Available in Vaughan:
York Region Crisis Response Services – Call 1-855-310-2673
*If it is an emergency, please call 911*