Mineral Resources (MinRes) has entered into a $600,000 partnership with Lifeline WA, a mental health service that provides 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
The partnership will fund the training of 300 volunteer digital crisis supporters over a three-year period and follows Lifeline WA reporting that digital crisis support demand has increased by 40 per cent over the past five years.
Lifeline WA chief executive officer Lorna MacGregor said the partnership was critical in meeting this demand and expanding the company’s digital team so no call for help is left unanswered.
“We are enormously grateful to MinRes for enabling us to train many more crisis supporters when demand for our services continues to grow at an alarming rate year on year,” she said.
“Offering crisis support to the Western Australian community via text or online chat, as well as by phone, is helping to ensure we are there anytime, anywhere, for those who need us.”
Every month, Lifeline WA handles between 5000–6000 conversations via SMS and online chat with people who are vulnerable and are in need.
Lifeline WA initially thought there would be a decline in people reaching out via phone call when its digital service first launched in late 2021. However, calls have continued to rise, with its lifesaving crisis support service answering over 65,000 crisis calls during the 2022–23 financial year.
“We’re very committed to what’s called a ‘collective impact’. That means partnering with other WA organisations, such as Lifeline WA, so that together we share the burden of a particular issue and work together on solutions,” MinRes head of mental health Chris Harris said.
“The team at Lifeline WA save lives every day and their services are so important at Christmas, when we know mental health challenges can be most acute.”
To speak to one of Lifeline’s crisis supporters, call 13 11 14.
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