The 988 hotline turned out to be a success – 300,000 calls were answered in the first year. connections

In a small office space behind the Gerstein Crisis Center in downtown Toronto, Collette Kelleher answers the phone in a calm and caring voice, trying to immediately create a sense of connection and support.

“Hello, 9-8-8, my name is Collette, how may I help you?” said Kelleher, an emergency services worker calling 988, Canada’s suicide crisis hotline.

This human connection is said to be the life-saving aspect of this ministry.

“Many people may be in a state of acute anxiety when they call. When we get into tunnel vision, we don’t feel like we have options, or they feel like they don’t have options and they think they want to kill themselves, the only way out is death,” Kelleher said.

Launched on November 30, 2023, the simple three-digit number was intended to be a lifesaver for Canadians in crisis or those looking for support for someone else.

988 is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada and run by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

In its first year of operation, 988 first responders in communities across the country responded to more than 300,000 calls and text messages. First responders in British Columbia responded to an average of more than 3,500 calls and texts per month, including 3,000 in Alberta and approximately 12,000 in Ontario.

Those numbers are accurate based on CAMH’s projected call volume, say officials, who consider the first year a success.

“I think it was absolutely a success, and I think it was a success because of the many people involved and working on it, and because it was needed,” said Dr. Allison Crawford, medical director of the helpline.

“It saves lives”

The average wait time in October was 44 seconds for phone calls and one minute and 47 seconds for text messages.

While these numbers are satisfactory, those involved are still working to improve.

Data on suicide rates is often years behind schedule. Experts note that they will continue to examine the numbers, but believe that the services offered in Canada are on par with other services.

“It’s one of the things that the World Health Organization is promoting to prevent suicide, and we’re seeing these types of services popping up all over the world, especially in the triple digits. We know that a three-digit number increases speed of access to care, and we know it works to save lives,” Crawford said.

The same 988 national crisis line was launched in the US in July 2022.

“It’s evidence-based, it supports people, so we want people to know about it and we’re preparing to meet even more demand,” Crawford said.

Close to home

Demand for the crisis line is only expected to increase as more people become aware of the service. Recent research has shown that mental health disorders and mental health challenges are higher than ever across the country.

Although CAMH oversees this service, it is intended to be community-based and calls are not centralized in one general call center. All calls and text messages are answered by trained rescuers working with approximately 40 crisis networks across the country.

So when someone contacts us, they will receive a response from someone as close to home as possible.

“The person who answers your phone will be familiar with how and where you live, what types of support are available, and often means greater cultural safety,” Crawford said.

These people are trained first responders, like Kelleher, who has been in the mental health field for over thirty years. Her passion is helping people in times of crisis. He takes great pride in allowing people to share their stories and help them recognize that they are not alone, although each conversation is different.

“You’re always nervous because you don’t know how you speak, and I always hope that they will trust me enough… to share their story. So there’s always a level of anxiety because you don’t know if someone is actively self-harming at that time or if it’s a sign of emotional help,” Kelleher said.

Paramedic #988 Collette Kelleher from the Gerstein Crisis Center in Toronto. (CTV News)

A real person

The average length of a text conversation is about 34 minutes, and phone calls last an average of 15 minutes, but Kelleher says it’s not uncommon to spend an hour on the phone with someone, doing a series of exercises and conversations.

“Breathing exercises, bringing them back to the here and now, to what’s happening, listening to their pain, and also starting the conversation by asking directly, ‘Are you feeling suicidal?’ Are you feeling suicidal today? Do you want to kill yourself? Do you have the means?” Kelleher said.

First responders are trained in risk management and can call 911 if necessary. The goal is to make contact with someone so they understand that there is a real person on the other end of the phone talking or responding to their texts – the idea is to move someone from the scene high risk to a safe place.

Kelleher does this by sharing his name and personal anecdotes with others.

“I’m always impressed by people’s ability to cope with stress and their narratives. “I think it’s magic that they would trust me at all, and it makes me feel really humbled when they share their story,” Kelleher said, adding that people are strong but may need a little support.

“People have tremendous resilience, but when they are in an acute state of crisis, they forget about it.”

Staying grounded

It’s a burden first responders are willing to bear, knowing they can make a difference in the lives of others. Before answering the phone, Kelleher says, she grounds herself – “parks her own stuff,” as she says – so the person can hear her story.

He also focuses on grounding himself outside of work, hiking and spending time with his grandchildren to work on himself.

988 is not only for people in acute crisis, but also for people seeking support for others, and some crisis centers are seeing a different demographic demand now that the number has been expanded and marketed to Canadians.

“We have a lot of people reaching out to us who have not used services in the past,” said Melody Grant, a 988 supervisor at the Gerstein Crisis Center.

He says it’s amazing to see people from all walks of life using the service to seek help.

“It’s the first point of contact for a lot of people who maybe don’t know about support in their community or know a provider and that’s why they’re afraid,” Grant said.

Kelleher can attest to that, knowing that every time he answers the phone or text message, there’s a unique story waiting on the other end. She hopes it will also help end the stigma around mental health, as it’s not just one “type” of person or demographic that needs support.

“It could be any Canadian, tomorrow it could be me, tomorrow it could be you. This happens when our stress levels accumulate and we sit in pain and see nothing. And that could be anyone, from doctors to nurses to daycare workers and “Joe Blow” on the street.”