FORTY-FIVE seconds, that’s all it takes to save a life, according to suicide prevention phone line volunteer Val Woodland.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Now the Griffith social welfare worker is calling on Wagga residents to donate their seconds, minutes and hours to help staff the Riverina-based crisis line, which is in dire need of volunteers.
They need at least 10 more people to put up their hands to ensure current volunteers are not burnt out, Ms Woodland said.
While supporting people can take its mental toll, knowing it can ultimately save a life makes it worthwhile, she said.
“Not long ago, I had a call from a young man and he said ‘I’m going to commit suicide, I’m going to do it’,” Ms Woodland said.
“I said to him ‘you don’t really want to die do you?’ and he hung up.”
Distressed, Ms Woodland said she was stuck for days wondering what happened to the caller, as they are unable to phone back people who have contacted them.
But days later the man contacted the service safe and alive, and thanked Ms Woodland from stopping him from suicide.
She now believes this demonstrated the power of the call line to make a difference.
“The call was just 45 seconds, and all I said to him was ‘you don’t want to die’,” Ms Woodland said.
The Suicide Prevent and Support Group Line started in 1997 as a community response to a Griffith suicide.
Through continuing support, the line has taken thousands of calls from people across Australia.
The line is different from Lifeline as it does not place people on hold, however, it also means the line can get busy, Ms Woodland said.
Wagga hospital mental health worker Jewel McKibbon joined the line as a volunteer a year ago.
The phone line is a good way for people in need of mental health support to be referred to other help services before it gets to the stage of needing hospitalization, she said.
To volunteer for the crisis line, phone Ms Woodland on 0408 202 376.
Suicide Prevention and Support Group 1300 133 911