by Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 01/98) - Betty Ann Mariott still remembers her first suicide call. It came soon after the Help and AIDS Information Line started five years ago today.

At the end of the phone call Mariott, co-ordinator of the crisis service, made the person promise not to hurt themselves and to phone back the next night.

If the caller does not agree to phone back the next night, line volunteers ask him or her to call a doctor, counsellor or someone else they can talk to.

"I empowered them to tell me what they wanted me to do for them," she said in the line's Canadian Mental Health Association office.

And in a nutshell, the line is all about empowerment.

The number is 920-2121 in Yellowknife and 1-800-661-0844 from elsewhere in the NWT.

Though two volunteers work the line every night between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., the group has recently transformed the service to include a voice-mail system if people phone outside of operating hours or when the line is busy.

The voice mail supplies information on HIV and AIDS, depression and suicide. Callers can also fill out a survey.

Often people phone because they are depressed or feel lonely and just need someone to talk to, but the majority deal with domestic problems.

"About 70 per cent of the cases involve spousal assault or marital problems," Mariott said.

"Volunteers are trained in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, giving referrals and in listening," Mariott said.

"We are there for the person who just wants to talk."

The help line is always looking for volunteers and then next training sessions are set for September.

The group has trained 125 volunteers to date and currently rotates the work among 30 volunteers.

"We're not counsellors," Mariott said. "We try to guide people to counsellors in their communities."

Often people have tried counsellors in their communities, but call the line because the confidentiality is greater.

The phones are equipped with call display, the numbers are not traced.

"All we know about the person is what they choose to tell us," she said.

As for the line's future, Mariott said there could be more of a focus on youths who phone and their often-unique problems.

She is also looking for a corporate sponsor.

"The Department of Health and Social Services is doing a wonderful job but everybody else is funded through them, too, so the money is more broken into pieces."

Other sponsors so far include the Nunasi Corporation, First Air and Matonabee Petroleum.