To the editor:
As a free community service in the classifieds section, the 100 Mile House Free Press has advertised the Williams Lake Crisis Line contact number for several years.
We would like to acknowledge the Free Press for its support of several suicide prevention initiatives over the years, and to advise readers of the new contact information, which was effective February of this year.
Recently, several Interior region crisis lines amalgamated services to become the Interior Crisis Line Network with a new toll-free contact number – 1-888-353-CARE (2273).
According to recent statistics, people across British Columbia speak to a crisis line worker every three minutes. Previously, the Interior crisis lines provided more than 15,000 calls and 315,000 minutes of support annually.
Locally, the South Cariboo Community Planning Council, in consultation with the Suicide Prevention Task Force with funding from the Interior Health Authority Injury Prevention Small Grants program, updated some printed resources. Soon, we will be distributing posters, business cards and Youth Survival Guides with updated information, including the new Interior Crisis Line Network number and three websites of interest:
www.heretohelp.bc.ca; www.YouthInBC.com; and www.mindcheck.ca.
If someone is feeling overwhelmed and needs to talk to someone, or if they are worried about someone they know and are not sure what to do, please make that phone call to 1-888-353-CARE (2273). Crisis services are available locally at 100 Mile District General Hospital.
In an emergency situation South Cariboo residents are reminded to call 9-1-1.
Lea Smirfitt
Executive co-ordinator
South Cariboo Community Planning Council
