Each week we will post a summary of interesting and representative 211 calls. This week, we have connections from New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

New Brunswick:

When people notice that someone in their community is struggling, 211 is a good first call. Service Navigators will calmly assess the situation, and suggest resources that can assist the person who is having a hard time.

A 211 Service Navigator took a call from a woman who said that she was very concerned about a neighbour. She had seen a poster about 211 New Brunswick and wondered if 211 could help. The neighbour was yelling and banging his head on the wall at the time of her call to 211. She wanted to reach out to someone who could help him, but she did not know what to do.

The Service Navigator stayed very calm, so that she could convey this feeling to the caller, who was understandably nervous and agitated. The Service Navigator let the caller know about the services of the Mental Health Mobile Crisis Unit of her area. The caller said that sounded like a service that would be able to help.

The Service Navigator gave her the contact information of the service, and also offered to make a warm transfer to the service for her. The caller gave her permission for the warm transfer. The Service Navigator was able to connect her successfully to an agent at the Mental Health Mobile Crisis Unit in Saint John. The caller was speaking with an agent about the situation when the Service Navigator exited the call, leaving them on the call together.

Newfoundland and Labrador:

211 aspires to be a safe and welcoming phone line for everyone. Service Navigators actively listen to callers to provide them with the services and support that they need.

A youth called 211. They said that they were transitioning to affirm their gender identity and were having some physical issues that they would like to talk about with someone who would understand what they were going through. They needed support right away.

They said that they were trying to connect to a helpline, but were having trouble getting through. They told the Service Navigator that they had been trying the provincial line, but were having some difficulty getting connected. The 211 Service Navigator showed empathy for their need for support and asked permission to assist them to get connected to a helpline. The caller agreed. The Service Navigator also called the provincial line, but was unable to get connected. With the caller’s permission, the Service Navigator then tried to call a national helpline. She was able to get through, so the caller was then directly connected to a national line for immediate support.