Project Overview

Lifeline Australia undertook the Frequent Help Seeker Project to better understand the needs and behaviours of frequent callers to Lifeline, and trial different types of supports that maintain help seekers’ safety and are sustainable for crisis supporters and the Lifeline system. The project involved appointment of nine crisis supporters to the Service Enhancement Team (SET) who worked exclusively with frequent help seekers over eight months, trialling different ways of supporting help seekers. The project approach was informed by research, consultation with help seekers and crisis supporters, and a scoping study by LimeBridge Australia.

The project trialled the following new and enhanced practices:

1. Different conversations via the inbound voice service enabled by a deepening of their skills, and permission and instruction to respond differently
2. Referrals to other supports e.g. Support Toolkit and short-term counselling
3. Delivery of an outbound call service over four weeks following a “CARE”-like framework

What were the key findings?

1. Lifeline has a shifting and dynamic cohort of people seeking support at high frequencies and that calling patterns are driven by individual circumstances.
2. People who use the service at high frequencies are often living with multiple and chronic vulnerabilities e.g. disabilities, mental health concerns, social isolation, and/or unemployment
3. Frequent help seekers often have other supports, and Lifeline is a valued and unique part of their support system, offering human connection, and a safe space to be heard and understood at any time it is needed
4. There are opportunities to improve the voice service by giving crisis supporters permission to have different conversations, and via a new outbound service
5. Crisis supporters benefit from deepening their understanding of the needs and circumstances of frequent help seekers, and clear messaging from Lifeline that these callers are appropriate users of the service.
6. When crisis supporters are given the support, tools, and knowledge to better support frequent help seekers, they feel greater connection and authenticity on calls, and their confidence, motivation and job satisfaction is significantly improved.

The first phase of the project was completed in December 2024 with a comprehensive report detailing the results from the project, key lessons learned, and evidence-based recommendations to improve the service for help seekers and crisis supporters. The report and its recommendations have endorsement from Lifeline Australia’s Executive Leadership Team and the Board. Please see the link to the report on the top right of this page - please note - this is for internal use only for the moment.

What’s next for the project?

Lifeline Australia is committed to sharing these findings and messages with all staff and volunteers within the Lifeline network.

The second phase of the project, which began in early 2025, involves collaboration between the project team and key stakeholders within Lifeline to use the project’s learnings to inform the development of scalable and actionable plans for improving the service. More detail about the plans for implementation will be shared as they become available.