Lifeline Mid Coast seeks more telephone crisis support volunteers as calls for support hit record levels

Lifeline reported that calls for help relating to financial stress and homelessness increased by half in the six months between August last year and January inclusive.

Lifeline Mid Coast crisis support manager and trainer, Di Bannister, said the volunteers have been "receiving more calls from more people who are at imminent risk of suicide".

The dedicated volunteers answer calls on Lifeline's telephone crisis support line 13 11 14.

"There are 41 centres across Australia and every centre is finding it difficult at the moment to meet the demand of our fellow Aussies who are out there struggling," she said.

Ms Bannister said it was important for anyone struggling to know that the organisation is available 24/7 to provide support.

Support is always available for those who may be distressed.

Lifeline Mid Coast provides care and support to callers in their time of personal crisis.

Ms Bannister said the recent floods, storms and bushfires in regional areas had amplified the need for mental health services.

"It's been more than five years that our local area has been living with ongoing natural disasters that people have no control over," she said. "You can't continue to do that without paying a price - and the price is your mental health."

Lifeline's network of 41 centres and 11,000 staff and volunteers across Australia receives more than 2.5 million telephone, text and online chat contacts each year.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Summer bushfires, Lifeline received an average of about 2400 contacts per day.

That number has blown out to 3800 a day.

Lifeline Australia CEO Colin Seery said many of these centres are reporting a significant increase in demand for financial support, including food distribution.

"We are seeing this happen right now, all across the country," he said. "Our centres are reporting an increase in help seekers who have never experienced financial stress before.

"And we know cost of living pressures also disproportionately impact the most vulnerable, including people who are unemployed, renters and young families."

Lifeline Australia's Chief Research Officer, Dr Anna Brooks, said that financial stressors are not isolated to those who have a mortgage, with interest rate increases flowing through to generate higher rental costs and other economic pressures.

"Financial stress and uncertainty can contribute to mental ill health. There is also evidence to suggest that people can experience distress and suicidal thoughts when facing financial stress and uncertainty."

Lifeline Mid Coast is currently training new volunteers and will be holding a second training program on August 1.

Ms Bannister said the second training program has been added in response to the growing demand for their service.

"We don't normally do two lots of training sessions in one year, but we will this year because the demand is so high," she said. "We will train again in August because we just need to get these phones manned 24/7.

"At the moment, we don't have the volunteers to meet the demand."

The Mid North Coast Local Health District says it is committed to providing the best possible mental health care and treatment, in the least restrictive environment.

Currently, the Port Macquarie Base Hospital Mental Health Inpatient Unit is a 12-bed facility, with the capacity to segregate four acute beds for those needing different care and observation.

A spokesperson for the MNCLHD said there are a further 12 beds but accessing these is dependent on "expansion in the future".

"The progressive expansion of this service has been impacted due to the district's COVID-19 response," a statement to the Port News read.

The unit's health care staff include nursing staff, a psychiatrist, psychiatric registrar, a junior medical officer, social worker, activity officer, health services assistants and administrative workers.

A new Safe Haven service is also available at Port Macquarie Base Hospital.

For those experiencing distress or suicidal thoughts, it provides an alternative to attending the emergency department.

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