OTTAWA — The federal government is providing suicide prevention support for people who need it with the introduction of Canada’s new three-digit suicide crisis helpline, 9-8-8.
The Government of Canada provided $156 million over three years to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to implement and operate the 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline.
The helpline is now available for people across Canada to call or text, in English and French, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. An experienced network of partners has trained responders ready to answer helpline calls and texts.
The Government of Canada and CAMH worked closely with partners from across many different sectors including local partners such as the Distress Centres of Greater Toronto and Gerstein Crisis Centre, Distress Centre of Ottawa, Crisis Prevention, Intervention and Information Centre for Northern BC, Canadian Mental Health Association Edmonton and others across the country, as well as national partners such as Kids Help Phone and Hope for Wellness.
As the 9-8-8 system continues to mature and evolve, PHAC and CAMH will continue to explore ways to build the network and support current and future network partners, indicates a release.
Ken Lancastle, chief operating officer of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, said he was pleased to see the government announce the helpline.
“Health and safety remains of critical importance to our industry, and mental health is no different,” he said in an email to the Daily Commercial News. “An accessible phone number that provides immediate support for those in crisis is welcomed by our industry. We all have a role to play in removing the stigma around mental health, and to share the message that ‘it’s OK to not be OK.’”
The rate of suicide among construction workers in Canada is three times the national average, 53.2 versus 17.3 per 100,000 workers.
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