(Facebook/ Kids' Help Phone)

By Nigel Maxwell

Mental health

More youth seeking help from crisis line: COVID-19

Mar 28, 2020 | 10:00 AM

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on service, according to a spokesperson for the Kids’ Help Phone.

Deanna Dunham, Manager in Charge of Indigenous Initiatives, said call volumes have nearly doubled in the past week, and there has also been a noticeable shift in the types of conversations.

“So we are hearing an increase in conversations about isolation and relationships, and we are prepared for more conversations about abuse as people are confined to their homes,” she said.

The organization is currently in the process of recruiting more indigenous volunteer crisis responders to help meet the growth of indigenous youth reaching out for help. Dunham said the average number of indigenous callers each month seeking help is 1,000.

“It’s more important than ever as more and more indigenous youth reach out to us for that support, that we have that representation,” she said.

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Dunham explained once the organization has a sufficient pool of Indigenous Crisis Responders, they will begin connecting Indigenous texters directly with Indigenous Crisis Responders when requested by the young person.

(Submitted photo/ Deanna Dunham)

Anyone interested in becoming a Crisis Responder can complete the online application. Dunham said they have five offices across the country, but the majority of staff and counsellors, work remotely from the comfort of their own homes.

“And that’s part of our effort to increase the number of indigenous counsellors that we have,” she said.

Becoming a Crisis Responder is simple. Anyone interested can complete the online application. Further questions can be directed to the group’s website.

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell