When you’re ready to talk, we’re ready to listen.
Nova Scotia Peer Support Phone Service
Wednesday to Friday - 5pm to 11pm AT
Saturdays and Sundays - 11am to 11pm AT
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
This is not a crisis line. Please call the Mental Health Crisis Line at 1-888-429-8167 or 911 for emergencies.
We are a safe, judgement-free, empowering space to talk about how you’re feeling. Peer supporters are ready to listen and understand because they have been there themselves.
Purpose and Access
Who is this service for?
The service is intended for individuals who feel isolated, alone, anxious, concerned, or who need support and to talk to someone. Reasons for calling can be anything from having a tough day at work, feeling down, struggling with supporting a loved one, going through a rough patch in a relationship and so on. It is NOT intended for individuals who are experiencing a crisis. It is available to all Nova Scotians over the age of 18.
What is peer support?
Peer support is emotional and social support between people who share a common lived experience with challenging life experiences, mental health and/or substance use issues. Peer support is a worthy complement to the broader mental healthcare system, as it supports wellness.
What is this service?
The Peer Support Phone Service is a toll-free, non-crisis, province wide service, available to all Nova Scotians 18 years of age or older. It is staffed by trained peer supporters, who have personal or family-based lived experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges.
When can I call?
You can call at any time during operating hours (Wed-Fri 5pm to 11pm, Sat-Sun 11am to 11pm). It is important to note that this service is not intended as regular, consistent support. For example, peer supporters will not be documenting your name or what was discussed. If you call again, there will not be a record of what was discussed previously.
“Speaking with someone who understood what I was going through was really validating and freeing. I no longer felt alone.”
Caller Experience
Who will I be speaking with?
You will be speaking with a peer supporter who has their own lived experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges and who is now in a positive state of wellness. Peer supporters have been trained to listen and use their own lived experience to connect with callers, validate and acknowledge their experience, and support their wellbeing.
What can I expect when I call?
The peer supporter will listen, ask questions, and enable you to feel heard. A peer supporter will not give advice or tell you what to do. Your call will not be recorded and will be kept confidential, except in extreme circumstances where harm to self or others is imminent, or abuse is suspected.
What happens if no one answers?
We know from experience, how difficult and frustrating it can be to reach out for support and not get an answer. We do our best to answer calls in a timely manner, and some calls may need to be placed in a queue while peer supporters finish up with other callers.
You may also choose to leave a voicemail with your name and phone number and if a peer supporter has availability during their shift, they will return your call. Otherwise, you are invited to call back during the next service shift.
What happens if I get disconnected?
Should you get disconnected, you are invited to call back right away, or during the next service shift.
Feedback
What do I do if I have a complaint ?
We are always looking to improve our services and want to hear from you if you feel dissatisfied with the service you received. If you have a complaint, please send an email to Sarah Morrison, Program Manager at Peer Support Nova Scotia.
Privacy and Code of Conduct
It is important to note that there are guidelines and a general code of conduct we require all callers to follow when using the Peer Support Phone Service. Accessing the service indicates that you have read, understood, and agreed to follow the code of conduct, the stated rules below and understand the services offered by the Peer Support Phone Service.
The Peer Support Phone Service is available for social and emotional support. We do not offer advice. Decisions that you make during or after accessing the service are your own responsibility. We encourage callers to always check with your professional support team for clinical or medical advice.
The Peer Support Phone Service will not make an audio recording your call and you may remain anonymous; however, the peer supporter will be recording general de-identified, statistical information that will not be connected to individual callers, including phone numbers. This data will be used to inform and improve the phone service.
The Peer Support Phone Service is confidential; however, if the peer supporter identifies that a caller’s, or someone else’s life is in imminent danger we will do our best to work with you to get you connected to the appropriate services and ensure your safety. This includes if there is information a child or a vulnerable adult is/has been abused. In this instance, confidentiality will be breached and information you share will be passed along to the appropriate service which can intervene. This may include and is not limited to 911, Police, Mobile Crisis line, Child Protection Services, etc.
If at anytime you have a concern regarding the service you received,
please send an email to Sarah Morrison, Program Manager at Peer Support Nova Scotia.
Respect your time with the peer supporter. We are here to support you and the many others people who access this line, so, there will be a limit to how much time we can spend with each caller. We do not provide references , referrals to other services or follow up
Respect the peer support workers; refrain from using language that is emotionally, verbally, or sexually abusive, this includes but is not limited to defamatory remarks; do not make threats to workers about their safety and well-being.
Peer Supporters, and callers, can expect not to be discriminated against on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, colour, religion, sex, gender identity, age, mental or physical abilities, political beliefs, socio-economic status, health status, sexual orientation, marital status, or any other basis listed in Nova Scotia's Human Rights legislation. Discrimination will not be tolerated.
The Peer Support Phone Service reserves the right to discontinue service to callers who breach this code of conduct.
Wednesday to Friday - 5pm to 11pm AT
Saturdays and Sundays - 11am to 11pm AT
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
