Crisis line expands its Island services

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The KU-UUS Crisis Line Society in Port Alberni celebrated its tenth anniversary last summer-10 years of providing a confidential crisis line for adults and teens seeking support. In response to the success of the society's more recent outreach services program, they are expanding that program to include Tofino and Ucluelet.

In 1993, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council-affiliated bands on the west coast of Vancouver Island came together to address the high rate of suicides and suicide attempts in the their communities.

As a result of that meeting, the KU-UUS crisis line was created to alleviate gaps in accessible service for Aboriginal people, and to provide a 24-hour crisis service for those in need.

Community liaison and program assistant Laurie Sinclair noted that while the crisis line still deals with suicide-related distress, the Crisis Line Society is equipped to deal with a varietyof issues such as mental health, crime, addiction, employment, financial situations, and relationships with family and children.

The crisis line serves primarily as a problem-solving and referral resource. Crisis line phone workers are not counsellors, but they are trained to provide a confidential forum for discussion and to offer appropriate referrals to those seeking further assistance.

The society's outreach services, accessible by calling the crisis line, offer additional support for those in critical or escalating situations. In Port Alberni, the outreach operates on a 24-hour basis, while the new west coast outreach service is available "after-hours" only.

Sinclair explained, "At this time, we don't have the manpower to cover any more than that, but ideally we'd like to offer 24-hour coverage for the entire west coast."

Maintaining the crisis line and outreach service requires commitment, energy, and "lots of fundraising," said Sinclair. Sinclair is continually impressed by the level of involvement by community members, local businesses and dedicated volunteers.

"The community response has been great ... people have been very generous. I think that they're seeing the need," she said.

Working directly with people in crisis has its challenges. Sinclair refers to her job as a "real eye opener," and she worries that the hardships her clients face are more numerous than ever before. But she said that the most important thing is that people know there is someone who will listen.

"I'm just happy to see that people are using the service. People are gaining trust ... They have an anonymous place to turn."

For more information about the crisis line or outreach services, contact the administration office at 723-2323.

The crisis line also offers a toll-free line that is available to all Aboriginal people in British Columbia.

24-hour adult line 723-4050

24-hour teen line 723-2040

24 hour toll-free line

1-800-555-8717