A St. Thomas, Ontario woman says she was turned away by a 24/7 mental health helpline that failed to refer her to other programs for her anxiety.
Amanda Stark, 43, contacted Reach Out last week, a provincially funded service for individuals with mental health or addiction needs. However, a representative told her that her problems were substantial but no help was available.
“I answered all his questions and explained my mental health situation. He paused and said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot,’ and then informed me that there was no one available to help,” Stark told CBC’s London Morning.
Reach Out operates through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services. It supports those living in London, Middlesex, Oxford, and Elgin counties. Funded by Ontario Health, it provides system navigation, supportive listening, and crisis services.
The organization responsible for the program stated it is taking the situation very seriously. A spokesperson expressed regret about Stark’s experience in an email.
“We’re sorry to hear that Amanda felt unsupported. This is not how we want callers to feel after speaking with Reach Out,” wrote Kelly Morgan.
“Typically, when someone calls Reach Out with concerns about self-harm or a mental health crisis, our responders provide supportive listening and suggest safety planning or coping tools.”
Stark said the person who answered her call was not a counsellor. He asked her a series of intake questions to gauge her situation’s intensity.
Although he was kind and friendly, Stark said it would have been helpful if he had connected her to another community service that could better address her needs.
“He used some counselling techniques, but I needed more,” she said.
CMHA acknowledged Stark’s concerns and noted that responders could take measures to ensure a caller’s safety if needed. This includes directing them to the Crisis Centre, deploying a mobile response team, or contacting first responders for a wellness check, Morgan said.
Stark, who has a traumatic brain injury and mild depression and anxiety managed with medication, said she reached out to the helpline during a particularly anxious day.
“I didn’t want to deal with the anxiety alone. I know there are community supports, so I called. I just needed someone to talk to for a bit,” she said.
“While the responder was calm and a good listener, he couldn’t offer the emotional support I needed.”
Stark believes there are not enough services for people with mild mental illness, except for long wait-lists or hospital visits. She argues that a publicly funded service should be better equipped.
