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:

Whether a caller knows exactly what they are seeking or if they need a longer conversation to determine their needs, 211 Service Navigators are there for them.

A 211 Service Navigator took a call from an adult man in Moncton, New Brunswick. He explained that he was looking to be connected with a guide dog program. The Service Navigator probed and determined that the program the caller was seeking was administered at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).

The caller’s request was straightforward, so she provided him with the phone number for the Canadian Institute for the Blind office in Moncton. She also gave him the toll-free number for this organization at the national level. The Service Navigator was about to ask the caller if he had any other needs or if he would like her to make a warm transfer to the organization. However, before she could do so, he politely thanked her for the information and hung up.

Some calls are brief and short like this one; however, they always concern services that are essential to the caller. It is important to use a warm, respectful tone, and to find the services needed quickly and efficiently. Good service experiences with brief calls can encourage people to call 211 when their problems are more complicated.

Newfoundland and Labrador:

Feeling lonely and isolated makes recovering from mental illness so much harder. 211 Service Navigators have information on different warmlines and support groups that can help people with mental health issues feel heard and validated.

A woman called 211, sounding upset. She told the Service Navigator that she felt like no one really understood her mental health situation. She had a partner and a child, and was connected to a therapist and doctors. However, she still felt alone. She told the Service Navigator, “I feel so isolated because no one can understand.”

The Service Navigator expressed empathy – feeling isolated is very painful. When asked what services she would like to connect with, the caller said a support group or somewhere that they would be able to understand what she was going through.

The Service Navigator referred the caller to a warmline where she could receive emotional support, and a support group where she could connect with others who were also going through mental health issues. The Service Navigator was concerned about the caller and suggested a follow-up call. The caller was very happy about the follow-up offer and thanked the Service Navigator for wanting to call her back.