By Danielle Kutchel
A petition to implement a “fourth line” to triple-zero specifically for mental health emergencies has gained more than 12,000 signatures and is showing no signs of slowing.
As the spotlight shifts to mental health and wellness, the petition has gained momentum, far surpassing the 1000 signatures its organiser, mental health advocate Heidi Everett, was expecting.
“I thought 1000 would be quite decent. We hit that within about a week and it ballooned up after that,” she said.
She believes the petition has struck a chord in a community in which many have reached breaking point during the Covid-19 pandemic.
While a report released last week by the Coroners Court of Victoria shows no increase in suicides to date during the pandemic, psychologists have reported a massive increase in people requiring assistance.
Ms Everett believes that’s where her suggested mental health hotline proposal could help.
She’s seeking a “fourth line” to be added to triple-zero, so that when people call the emergency number they hear: “police, fire, ambulance or mental health?”
The mental health line would be connected to a crisis assessment treatment (CAT) team, who are trained specifically to deal with mental health crises.
This team would then take appropriate steps to help the person in crisis. They would be supported by paramedics for emergencies involving medical incidents.
Ms Everett says in a utopia, people with lived experience of mental ill-health and carers would also be on the team.
Currently, she says, if someone calls triple-zero for suicidal thoughts or mental health crisis, paramedics and police respond with the support of a mental health worker – but Ms Everett wants to see that flipped, with the mental health workers becoming the primary responders in a situation they are most equipped to deal with.
She believes it would help reduce the burden on hotlines like Lifeline and Beyond Blue, and added that in “if you’re in a mental health crisis, the last thing you’re going to do is remember those numbers or go searching for them on the internet. Triple-zero cuts through that.”
“I’ve used Lifeline so many times but even they say contact triple-zero in an emergency,” Ms Everett says.
She added that the fourth line would be particularly useful for those who have no idea who to call in a mental health emergency – people like farmers, business owners and parents who are now, for the first time, experiencing the mental ill-health.
Clinical psychologist and director of Lakeside Psychology, Michael Tomek, said he thought the concept of a fourth line was “interesting” and that he could see the appeal.
But he stressed it would be important to consider all the pros and cons of the suggestion and how it would impact the triple-zero system.
He acknowledged that the state’s psychiatric triage system is currently “under the pump”.
“Often we have to leave messages to them and they get back to us. It’s very challenging … The pressure is being felt in not only in the community but also by psychologists and the public mental health team.”
In fact, he said, demand at his clinic – including enquiries and requests for appointments – has doubled since March.
A spokesperson for Victoria Police said officers are “attending an increasing number of mental health incidents every year”.
According to the spokesperson, Victoria Police works with mental health professionals to improve training in the area for its officers, with mental health training woven into all aspects of training for recruits.
“In addition to recruit training, all frontline Victoria Police officers will receive additional in-depth training solely dedicated to assisting people experiencing a mental health crisis,” the spokesperson said.
“It will also help to prevent the escalation of incidents and associated harm to the individual, police and community and enhance diversion to assessment and treatment.”
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson confirmed that they respond to over 75,000 mental health emergency calls, with more than 17,000 of those being connected with a specialist mental health nurse within the organisation.
The others “require a lights and sirens emergency response and admission to an emergency department”.
Telstra provides Australia’s triple-zero service. To connect a fourth line, the legislation governing the service would need to be updated.
To view the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/australian-government-000-mental-health-line
If this story has raised any issues for you, please contact:
Lifeline on 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or beyondblue.org.au
