Lifeline Services

24 Hour Telephone Counselling - 13 11 14

Lifeline Northern Rivers offers a telephone counselling service that respects everyone's right to be heard, understood and cared for. The crisis line 13 11 14  is staffed by trained volunteers on a rostered shift basis. The calls are confidential and anonymous, and some of the issues regularly dealt with include mental illness; grief; loneliness and isolation; domestic violence; men's issues and suicide.

This valuable community service supports regular callers as well as those who ring in a time of crisis. Lifeline counsellors have excellent listening skills and are trained to respond to all people in a non-judgemental and accepting manner. While the counselling is not directive or intrusive, the counsellor is trained to encourage the client to explore possible problem-solving options.

Lifeline counsellors have access to detailed resource files that assist them to refer clients with specific issues on to other local services that may be able to help. For example, suggested services could be agencies specialising in housing; health; drug and alcohol support; legal or women's organisations.

Lifeline’s 13 11 14 service is staffed by trained volunteer telephone counsellors who are ready to take calls 24-hours a day, any day of the week from anywhere in Australia. Lifeline Northern Rivers has approximately 70 trained volunteer telephone counsellors who respond to the many and varied needs of our community, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Somewhere in Australia there is a new call to Lifeline every minute. The Northern Rivers region alone generates over 7800 calls per year. In 2009 Lifeline Northern Rivers' Volunteer Telephone Counsellors responded to over 6700 calls.

Lifeline counsellors are ready to talk and listen no matter how big or how small the problem might seem. They are trained to offer emotional support in times of crisis or when callers may be feeling down.

Lifeline provides an ideal opportunity for people to anonymously seek out help without leaving their home and for the cost of a local call. They simply need to pick up the phone and dial 13 11 14.