How Canada’s 9-8-8 crisis helpline works

Canada’s 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline takes calls and texts from anywhere in the country around the clock, every day of the year, in English and French, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The three-digit number launched nationwide on Nov. 30, 2023. It is funded by the Government of Canada and led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. If you have never used it, or are not sure what happens when you do, here is how the service works.

9-8-8 is not one call centre. It is a network of nearly 40 local, provincial, territorial and national crisis lines, according to the service’s own website. The helpline was built on the earlier Talk Suicide Canada model, which linked existing distress and crisis services across the country.

When you call or text, you are connected to the responder closest to you, based on your area code. If that responder is busy, the contact is passed to another partner or to a national hub so the call or text is still answered, the federal government said.

The helpline is open to anyone who is struggling to cope, has lost hope or is having thoughts of suicide. It is also open to people who are worried about someone else and want advice on how to help.

On a call, the Government of Canada describes a short series of steps before you reach a person. You confirm you have reached 9-8-8 and choose English or French. Depending on where you live, you may be offered a specialized option. You then hear a privacy statement, are told you are being routed, and are connected to a trained responder.

Responders are trained to listen without judgment, assess suicide risk, work through coping techniques and help a caller build a safety plan. The federal government has said no one who calls or texts will be turned away.

Two specialized options are available in many areas. Hope for Wellness provides support for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. Kids Help Phone provides support for young people. Children and youth can also contact Kids Help Phone directly, including by texting CONNECT to 686868.

Privacy is one of the most common questions people have about crisis lines. The government’s information page says calls may be monitored and recorded for quality and training purposes, and that text conversations may be saved as transcripts. Both come with a link to the service’s terms and conditions, which explain how that information is handled.

The service is available across the country, but not every call is answered the same way. People in Quebec, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick may be connected to their provincial service instead of the national network, according to the government’s information page. Those provincial services answer the same kind of crisis calls.

It is worth knowing what 9-8-8 is not. It is not an emergency dispatch service. If someone is in immediate danger or has been seriously hurt, call 9-1-1. It is also not a replacement for ongoing mental health care, though responders can point callers to local resources.

Many people hesitate to call because they are unsure they are “bad enough” to reach out. The service’s website says it is meant for anyone who is struggling, not only for people in the middle of an emergency. A call or text can be about feeling overwhelmed, hopeless or alone.

People who are worried about a friend or family member can also use the line to talk through what they have noticed and what they can do next. A responder can help them think about how to start the conversation and which supports exist where they live.

The service publishes usage figures on a separate “9-8-8 Service Data” page linked from its website. Canada News Media has not independently verified those figures and has not included them here.

Staff in schools, workplaces and community groups can share the number as part of their own wellness resources. The three digits are designed to be easy to remember in a moment of stress, and to work on any phone, whether you call or send a text.

The federal government’s Public Health Agency of Canada keeps the official information about the helpline, and CAMH runs the public website at 988.ca, where details on the specialized options and the current network of partners are posted.

This article is based on official guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada and is provided for general public information. It’s not a substitute for medical advice, if you have questions about how this applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

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Sources: Public Health Agency of Canada, 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline; 988.ca, About 9-8-8.

Maya Bennett is the byline of Canada News Media’s AI-assisted health desk. Learn how we work in our Editorial Policy.