Inuvik (Sep 18/06) - Last year the Kids' Help Phone distress line received 3,300 calls or Internet questions from NWT youth - a jump of nearly 70 per cent in two years.

While there might be repeat callers, it is clear that the figure caught some people by surprise.

Some lines open to residents of the NWT include: Kids Help Phone, 1-800-668-6868 Helpline Western Arctic, 1-800-661-0844 Inuvik Suicide Hotline, 1-867-777-1234 NWT Help Line, 1-867-873-9903

"I thought it would be, like, 10 per year," said Andrew Beernherdt, a 17-year-old who frequents the Inuvik Youth Centre.

Calls certainly range in urgency, but Sheryl Hayes, regional director of Kids' Help Phone, can still remember one the centre received several years ago.

"It was a younger man who had broken into the band office. He was hiding under the chief's desk, since it was the only phone from which he could speak privately. He believed his life was in danger and called us," Hayes said.

She added the centre receives calls like the one described above quite often; and often from communities in the Beaufort-Delta.

While it can be difficult for counsellors to hear so many youth in distress, Hayes said the extra calls are welcome.

"It's a good thing," she said, adding she believes it means the line is becoming better known in the North.

There are many telephone services available to aid those in distress.

Some, like Inuvik's Suicide Hotline, deal specifically with people in life-threatening crises.

Others, like Helpline Western Arctic, provide counselling for people with other troubles such as depression, substance abuse or dysfunctional families.

As a result of increased demand, Hayes said Kids' Help Phone will soon be starting a chapter in Yellowknife.

The chapter will seek "student ambassadors," to advertise the centre's number to residents of the North.

Sandy Little, a Mental Health Consultant with the NWT's Department of Health and Social Services, said distress lines can provide an important local connection for callers.

"It's very exciting to see the communities take ownership," she said.

"I would think (a local service) might have a better knowledge of the community and where the resources are."

Reminding youth

In Inuvik, the Youth Centre displays a sign advertising the local Suicide Hotline.

"It's important that youth know the resources that exist," said centre director Brook Land-Murphy.

Little said it is unfortunate that issues like suicide are not often discussed. "We are trying really hard to erase the stigma which exists around mental health," she said.

While she said the lines are a good first step for people in distress, she explained that they are not meant as a replacement for long-term counselling. "Sometimes, people just need a confident, calm voice," she said.