Will Iemma throw a lifeline to Lifeline?

Release date: 20 Feb 2006

Lifeline in NSW needs NSW Premier Morris Iemma to throw the community-based organisation a $2.8 million-a-year lifeline of his own this week.

Lifeline in NSW needs NSW Premier Morris Iemma to throw the community-based organisation a $2.8 million-a-year lifeline of his own this week.

The Chairperson of Lifeline in NSW, Mr Grahame Gould says Lifeline's 24-hour telephone counselling service, which started in NSW 43 years ago, had become a vital part of the State's social welfare and mental health network.  But he warns Lifeline is struggling to meet growing community demand for this essential support service.

"The truth is we are handling about 200,000 calls a year but we are definitely not meeting demand from the people of NSW.  We just don't have the money needed to build and maintain the service," he said.

"Over the years demand has simply outstripped our fund raising – we just can't depend on second hand clothes sales and community donations to support our core business anymore."

"We rely very much on the dedication of our volunteer counsellors – we have more than 2000 in NSW at the moment – but it takes time and money to support and train people and then to provide the management and help they need to work in what is a very rewarding but increasingly complex role."

There are 15 Lifeline centres in NSW. Lifeline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from 24 community based locations.  It is increasingly seen as a vital support to the work of NSW Government agencies such as Health, Community Services, Police and Housing, through to Aboriginal Affairs, Corrective Services and Juvenile Justice.

"We are working, and doing all we can to be available to help people, around the clock. People who are receiving services from some Government agencies who need help outside of normal hours often call us instead – in fact many are advised to do so."

Mr Gould said the Premier had been instrumental at COAG in setting a new standard for early intervention that will give people with mental health and other problems timely access to the support and care they need.

"We have asked the Premier to provide an additional $2.8 million annually. We believe his commitment to helping people access help is real. This funding will give us a desperately needed injection of hope, "Mr Gould said.

The NSW Government provides $425,000 a year to support the telephone counselling service in eight of 15 Lifeline centres. The remaining seven centres receive no direct state support to maintain the telephone counselling service.  In contrast the Victorian Government provides $1 million for telephone counselling at six centres.

Media Contact: Grahame Gould (ph: 0409 912 391)