VOLUNTEERS LAUNCH CAIRNS PEER SUPPORT TELEPHONE SERVICE
A PEER support telephone service for people suffering mental illness hopes to be operating seven days a week with more volunteers.
The Cairns and Hinterland Warm Line, which launched earlier this month, operates Friday-Sunday nights, providing support for people with mental illness or emotional distress who are either too afraid or alone to connect with family or friends.
The service, which is staffed by about 10 volunteers, is operated by the Cairns Consumer and Carer Advisory Group, and funded through the Federal Government.
Project manager Carmel Murray said the service would complement Lifeline’s crisis support hotline.
“Lifeline is a marvellous service, but they’re what you call a crisis line – a hotline,” she said.
“What we’re providing is a warm line. A warm line is an opportunity to ring someone who has had a similar experience to yourself and talk about their experiences.”
She said volunteers listened to callers, trying to understand their issues, and worked towards comfortable solutions.
“Hopefully, by working with them in a situation where we understand what they’re going through, we can save them going up to emergency departments to find someone who wants to listen to them, or go to a doctor, or counselling service, unnecessarily,” she said.
Peer led warm lines have been established in many parts of the world, including the US, Canada and the UK.
Ms Murray hoped the Cairns service would be able to expand to a seven-day service. To contact the Cairns and Hinterland Warm Line, call (07) 4041 7416. For 24-7 crisis support, contact Lifeline on 131 114 or visit lifeline.org.au.