A phone service that directs calls to crisis lines throughout the province is now facing a crisis of its own.
The service, run by the Crisis Line Association of B.C., operates the toll-free 1-800-suicide and 310-mental health (310-6789) numbers, which will be shut down July 1, when funding runs out.
The two numbers were created in 2004 and 2008 respectively, with one-time grants and "transitional dollars" from various provincial organizations, including the Provincial Health Services Authority.
The association needs $177,800 annually to continue the service, which routes calls to the province's 14 individual crisis lines.
Having a provincewide number for either suicide intervention or mental health crises is important, said Jackie Yurick, spokesperson for the Crisis Line Association of B.C., because the numbers are easy to remember and because they give callers more chances to have their calls routed to a counsellor on one of the regional crisis lines, rather than getting a voice message.
"You make the call to your local crisis line, and crisis lines are very busy, so there does exist the possibility that they can't respond immediately," Yurick said. "So, with the routing, it gives you three more chances (to talk to someone immediately)."
Yurick also suggested that without these two lines to direct calls to crisis lines, there will be increased pressure on other social services in New Westminster and throughout the province.
"If those numbers were out of service, people likely then will be having to turn to things like police, ambulance, hospital more frequently than they do now," she said.
Since the two network numbers were launched, they've handled 50,000 calls, and B.C. crisis lines field one call every three-and-a-half minutes, according to the association. During times when demand for service is high, the service automatically re-routes calls to other crisis lines to increase response time.
"Here in British Columbia, we've already built it, it's proven to be successful, and we're in danger of having it peter away right at the time when there's efforts right across the country to replicate it," Yurick said.
The Provincial Health Services Authority was not available for immediate comment.
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