Non-crisis mental health and addiction line now open in N.S. on weekday holidays

Starting today, the province's mental health and addictions phone line will be open on weekday holidays.

The service launched in 2019 and it received more than 82,000 calls last year.

People who need care or help finding support can call 1-855-922-1122 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Tuesdays, the line is open until 8 p.m. Hours will be expanded later this year.

Nova Scotia Minister of Addiction and Mental Health Brian Comer told CBC's Mainstreet in an interview about the move on Thursday.

This interview has been shortened and edited for clarity.

Why was the decision made to keep lines open on weekday holidays?

Mental health challenges don't take holidays. So, this is another action that will increase access to Nova Scotians who need help with addictions and mental health care.

What do you hope this will do for Nova Scotians?

It's one of the many actions that we're implementing to expand access to care. We know that addictions and mental health care can be quite complex based on the individual's needs. So, this is a gateway to the system, whether it's peer support, whether it's access, wellness connection to the more formal hospital system for more intensive treatment ... so just really more increasing access and opportunities to reach out for help for those that need it.

How does the line work?

The individuals working the intake line would be trained clinicians, so, someone with a significant background in addictions and mental health care to undergo a thorough assessment process based on the unique individual's needs. Then that could range from referral for more intensive treatment to the hospital system or it could also maybe lead to some contact information for the peer support line if you don't need such intensive treatment.

What other steps has the government taken to support Nova Scotians in non-crisis situations?

We continue to implement recovery support centres across the province. So there will be 10 of those opened over the next number of months. Those centres are highly accessible in the communities and can help with issues ranging from mild to moderate concerns, from addictions and mental health care. 

We're looking to also offer training for coping skills and resilience. We've had significant uptake with Tranquility, an online provincial program. We have over 1,000 Nova Scotians utilizing that right now. So that's for internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy.

What needs to be put in place to expand the non-crisis line?

We're working very hard on that now. We have to increase our clinical capacity from a human resource perspective. Also we're always looking at the times of the day with the highest call volumes. In the next couple of months, we will have more to say on that front.

Will the expanded hours include weekends?

That's something we're working toward. I certainly think the more opportunities there is for people to access the system, the better the system is for people that need the help. So, the goal will be to have that service available then. I can't give a specific timeline today, but it's a priority of the office.