TeleSupport Line...Breakthrough Spring 2005

Breakthrough

Someone to talk to…

The Telephone Support Line started in July 2003 as part of the R. Samuel McLaughlin Addiction and Mental Health Information Centre, a service that provides information to the public about addiction and mental health.

In addition to requests for information, there are callers who are looking for someone to talk to about their personal struggles or a family member or friends' struggle with addiction and mental health issues. This is where The Telephone Support Line comes in.

It is for anyone whose life has been touched by an addiction and/or mental health issue. The caller does not need to be a client of CAMH. What we offer is:

support to family members or friends who are concerned about a loved one,
support to individuals who are trying to get through a tough day,
a friendly ear when you feel like you just need to touch base with someone,
anonymity - you don't have to tell us who you are or where you are calling from, we are just here to listen and,
an understanding that living with an addiction and/or a mental health issue can be challenging and sometimes it can help to share these challenges with someone.

We have over thirty trained volunteers who help answer and respond to calls Tuesday through Saturday from 3 to 9 p.m. These hours compliment the hours of other services available in the community making volunteers on The Telephone Support Line available when others may not be.

You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-463-6273 from anywhere in Ontario. Or you can reach us at our local number (416) 595-6111. Calls to our 1-800 number are typically answered live and you will be transferred to the Telephone Support Line, however if all of our agents are busy, you can reach the Warm Line by following the prompts given by the telephone tree and selecting option two.

Our hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 3 to 9 p.m.

Call us when you need to talk.

Lisa Pont is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Telephone Support Line. For more information on volunteering for the Telephone Support Line please call Lisa at (416) 535-8501 ext. 3074.