BC's Crisis Lines are funded by BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, a program of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). We are authorized to collect personal information for the purpose of providing crisis and support services to individuals under s. 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA); and for program evaluation and quality improvement purposes under s. 26(e). To support training and to ensure the quality of our services, your live calls may be monitored, and will be recorded. For more information about your privacy, visit http://www.phsa.ca/privacy or email: privacy@phsa.ca

 

Information on becoming a Crisis Line Volunteer is available here.

Here are a few of our volunteers on what the experience was like...

Volunteering at the Fraser Health Crisis Line is a chance to make a real difference in your community. As a call-taker, I learned so much about resilience, struggle, and the power of empathy. Listening to callers' stories has been a humbling experience, and I am thankful for the opportunity to connect with such a diverse group of individuals. I also really enjoyed getting to know the other call-takers and the staff. The skills and knowledge that one gains as a call-taker are transferable to so many different fields. I know that my experience at the Crisis Line was instrumental to my success in gaining admission to graduate school, and I am now on my way to achieving my goal of becoming a clinical counsellor. -   Raina

I am currently in Nursing School at UBC and cannot explain the significant impact the Fraser Health Crisis Line has made on my practice. I feel very prepared to deal with emotional crises and have even had a few of my colleagues ask for advice and tips after seeing me respond to certain situations!

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity I was provided to volunteer at the Fraser Health Crisis Line and have such an excellent trainer for guidance.  - Arjun

 I was a volunteer for just under 2 years with Fraser Health Crisis Line. I truly believe volunteering at the Crisis Line allowed me to develop a versatile skill set which has helped me in my career as a police officer both in training and in the field. The skills I learned and developed at the Crisis Line have been very beneficial for me and I wasn't able to develop the same skills in any other setting. My communication skills became stronger through listening and speaking with callers. Another skill I have taken from my volunteer experience at the Crisis Line and applied to policing is coping and managing stress. I would recommend the Crisis Line to anyone looking for a meaningful volunteer position which allows you to engage and help members of your community. - Charn

I don’t think I could put a value on my experience with the Crisis Line. In addition to learning some of the most important skills needed as a helping professional (empathy, active listening etc.), the call taking that I did at the Crisis Line also made me feel like I was giving back. As an aspiring counselor working towards my graduate degree in counseling psychology, I continue to pull on my experience at the Crisis Line. Of course, I was quite nervous to begin with, but after I received the training, took some calls myself, and realized how great it feels to help in this way, I fell in love with it. I can see myself returning to the Crisis Line again and again, both to review my skills and also to give back to those that so desperately need someone to listen.  - Rob

I volunteered at the Fraser Health Crisis Line for a year before becoming a full-time staff member for almost four years. Although I have since moved on from my role at the crisis line, the training, knowledge, and abilities I obtained while I was there are ones that I utilize every day in my current occupational role. I have come across situations at my current job that I do not know how I would have gotten through as successfully as I did if it wasn’t for the training I received at the crisis line. The crisis line changed my life – the training, the experience, the calls all helped mold me into the person I am today and helped me take steps towards the future I had been dreaming about. I got accepted into a competitive graduate program at SFU and I acquired skills that you simply cannot obtain anywhere else, but more importantly, my experience at the crisis line taught me how to be human. Trust me when I say that you do not know what it is like to be truly heard and understood by someone until you have spoken to a Fraser Health Crisis Line volunteer. - Sachi

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