Dialing in on the mental health line
First group counselling session offered to people across the territory Monday
Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
NWT residents have an opportunity to get dialed in to their mental health through a new counselling service offered by the Department of Health and Social Services.
The NWT Help Line offered its first group phone-support session on the topic of suicide on Monday night. - Kirsten Fenn/NNSL photo illustration |
The NWT Help Line began offering group phone-support sessions this week on topics ranging from addictions recovery, grief and loss to depression and suicide.
"It's important to have a range of services available for people across the territory," said Patricia Kyle, assistant deputy minister of families and communities.
"One of the great things about this program is you can call from any community, anywhere."
The NWT Help Line is a free, anonymous support line where people can talk to counsellors about stress, suicide, sexual assault, depression or abuse.
The group sessions will provide similar support, but offer participants the chance to gain information and build strategies for dealing with mental-health issues alongside other participants.
Two types of sessions will be offered, Kyle said.
The first is open group sessions, which will touch on topics that callers most frequently ask about when using the help line, Kyle said, and will accommodate up to 23 callers at a time.
"The information sessions are anonymous, so people can call in, they can listen or they can participate," she said.
"If someone is interested in calling in for that single time, it's an opportunity to learn more information about that topic."
The department offered its first open session on Monday night on the topic of suicide as well as suicide awareness.
A Facebook page has also been established to share information about upcoming sessions and mental-health topics.
Closed sessions will also be offered to groups of three to 10 people, who can participate in a series of two or three sessions on different topics.
The goal is to create a more private setting for people who want to talk with others going through similar experiences, Kyle said.
"For some people, they appreciate the opportunity to meet face-to-face but others may not want to," Kyle told Yellowknifer.
"The telephone group-support sessions offer something different."
Residents must call the NWT Help Line to pre-register before receiving a toll free number to call into the group session that night.
While Kyle said the department already offers the regular help line, community counselling and support through health-care professionals, "We wanted to add to that and try something new," she said.
"It's an opportunity for residents who might be interested and curious about what counselling might be, or what it could look like, or are at a stage where they're kind of interested in information and not necessarily pursuing anything further," she continued. "For people who do find it a positive experience, then they may choose to participate in one of the upcoming sessions."
The department plans to evaluate the program this year and conduct anonymous surveys after each session to gauge participants' satisfaction with the new service, Kyle said.
