Editor’s Note: This blog post includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help or is in crisis, please contact the Suicide Lifeline by calling 988 or visiting their website at 988lifeline.org, or contact emergency services at 911 if you or someone you know is in danger.
Since 2021, Listen Line has provided mental health support for people in Vancouver and the surrounding areas. Founded by a local nurse who identified an important need for her community, the organization has helped dozens of people in mental health crisis and many more through trainings, their phone line, and more.
Identifying a gap in mental healthcare.
Sharla Paso, the Executive Director and Founder of Listen Line Community Services, said she knew of four people who died by suicide from 2017 to 2018.
“I was distraught that so many people felt like [suicide] was the only option,” Paso said.
Paso, a nurse since 1991, said when she went through her medical training, there wasn’t a lot of time dedicated to mental healthcare. When she went back to school to get her doctorate in 2015, she focused her studies on women’s and mental health.
Then, Paso and her colleagues decided to conduct a local mental health survey and found that many people didn’t have the resources they felt they needed. One of the big gaps they identified was a crisis line for those who weren’t actively suicidal.
“We decided this was going to be a help line for people to call with the idea they would call long before they were in crisis and not have to wait until they were in crisis,” Paso said. “Then, we could help them not get into crisis by either hearing what they had to say or guiding them to resources that are out there.”
So far, Paso reported that Listen Line has prevented 48 people from dying by suicide and has helped 1,200-1,500 others.
We decided this was going to be a help line for people to call with the idea they would call long before they were in crisis and not have to wait until they were in crisis"
More than a phone line.
Listen Line provides more than just a person to talk to, as the organization also prepares services such as mental health first aid classes.
Listen Line provides more than just a person to talk to, as the organization also prepares services such as mental health first aid classes.
Eight-hour classes are offered to local companies and groups with the goal of educating about mental health.
“Those classes are hard for people to want to take because mental health is a difficult topic to talk about, and suicide is even harder to talk about,” Paso said. “But everybody that does take it says everybody needs this class.”
Looking to the future.
Paso said Listen Line is currently trying to secure funding to purchase a permanent home. Currently, Listen Line doesn’t have a physical location, as calls are transferred to a staff member on call, and classes are done at the offices of the group or business taking the course.
Paso hopes that after a physical location is secured and opened, Listen Line can also help fill the gap in mental health counseling by offering services instead of just connecting callers with external resources.
You can help support Listen Line financially by visiting their website, ListenLine.Life, where you can also find information on how to volunteer. Paso said they also are looking to fill spots on their Board of Directors.