Supporting Others: At the Centre Winter 2004

At the Centre

It's early Tuesday evening. John's alone in his house because his wife and young son recently left him. He starts to drink... again, and then decides to call a new service he heard about. He tells the person on the other end of the line about his situation. He says he really wants to make positive changes in his life, like going to AA.

John (not his real name) is one of many callers who have contacted the new R. Samuel McLaughlin Addiction and Mental Health Information Centre's Telephone Support Line since its inception in July. In addition to John, callers have voiced a wide spectrum of concerns such as dealing with an anxiety attack after taking drugs or worrying about supporting a brother who is dealing with alcoholism.

Each of those calls and hundreds more have been handled by nearly 40 volunteers who provide support and encouragement to people living with an addiction and/or mental health problem as well as to their concerned friends and family members.

Lisa Pont is the coordinator of this new service. "As many people have already discovered, the McLaughlin Centre offers a wide range of information on addiction and mental health. But there is another important component to our service and that is support. Now, callers have a continuum of care," she said.

The support line gives people an opportunity to express their fears or frustrations while helping them feel less isolated and better able to cope. "We help them clarify their feelings and emotions, give them a safe place to vent and also encourage them to take care of themselves by empowering themselves," Lisa said. "One caller said that he liked talking to our volunteers because they have made a choice to be there for them, during their free time."

Lisa recognizes that the support line meets a real need for friends and family members who often don't know where to turn. "That's why we have made our hours supplemental to other services such as those offered by therapists or other professionals," she said.

The volunteers at the support line represent a broad range of backgrounds and interests. They may be working in related fields, looking for a career change, studying to be therapists or social workers or simply wanting to increase their experience. One volunteer who works in the Information Technology field wanted to create balance in his life.

"I have a mental health background that I obtained in South Africa, but I wanted more clinical experience in Canada," explained Niles, a volunteer, who said he found the training very good. Karen, another volunteer, was looking for something to do, while studying social work. This volunteer experience also fits in well with her existing knowledge of mental health issues.

All volunteers must go through rigorous and extensive training and then commit to three hours a week for one year. The support service operates Tuesday to Saturday, 3 - 9 p.m. and can be reached at 416 595-6111 or Ontario toll-free at 1 800-463-6273. Information about CAMH can also be found on the CAMH web site. The R. Samuel McLaughlin Centre for Addiction and Mental Health also operates an information service 24 hours a day, seven days a week with information and referral specialists, audio taped messages and, web-based information in addition to its store-front information service. It has the same phone number and Web site as the support line.

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