Our Mental Health Team is Here to Help – 988 Helpline and Crisis Intervention Centre
June marks six months since Quinte Health, along with dozens of partner agencies across the country, proudly launched the 9-8-8 helpline. It’s a nation-wide helpline that provides live support by phone and text to everyone in Canada, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Since its launch in December, our remarkable team of responders at Quinte Health have taken over 2,100 calls.
While 9-8-8 is considered a suicide helpline, it’s here to help anyone experiencing a mental health crisis, even if you aren’t considering suicide. When you call or text a 9-8-8 responder, the person you connect to will listen with compassion and without judgment, and give you space to talk. Whatever you are going through, they want to understand, and will do their best to support you. 9-8-8 responders can help you explore ways to create safety when things are overwhelming.
If needed, local callers can be connected right away to the care they need, including at Quinte Health’s Crisis Intervention Centre (CIC). That’s one of the benefits of operating both services. The CIC is a community mental health program located in the WCA wing on the fourth floor (WCA 4) at Belleville General Hospital. This multi-disciplinary team is ready to respond to crisis calls and offer emergency mental health intervention in the form of assessments, referrals, short-term crisis resolution, or simply information.
Last year, the CIC team saw more than 3,100 clients, and responded to nearly 12,000 phone calls. CIC services can be accessed through a family doctor, health, or social service agency, or simply by calling 1-888-757-7766. The on-site hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Telephone response by a crisis worker is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
We know that reaching out for help for you, or someone you love, can be difficult. According to Dr. Colin MacPherson, Chief of Staff and Psychiatrist, Quinte Health, we can all play a role in supporting mental health care in our community.
“It’s important we promote open conversations about mental health to normalize seeking help and reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues,” Dr. MacPherson explained. “Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness – our mental health professionals are trained to assist without judgment and with confidentiality.”
Whether it’s a mental health crisis brought about by a relationship breakdown, the loss of a loved one, forms of abuse, or any number of life stresses, or symptoms of a mental illness – our team can help.
#Compassion
#Value Everyone
