What is the NWT Help Line?

The NWT Help Line is a confidential telephone support and referral service for callers who reside in the Northwest Territories. The volunteers are trained compassionate residents of the north who dedicate time each week to helping territorial residents cope with life’s ebbs and flows. The line is staffed between the hours of 7 pm and 11 pm every night of the year.

During the hours that the line does not have a live volunteer, a 24 hour interactive voicemail system handles callers.  There are three in-bound telephone lines, two local Yellowknife numbers and a 1-800 toll free line that can be accessed by all communities within the Northwest Territories.

History of the Help Line

The NWT Help Line is a self-contained entity within the Canadian Mental Health Association, NWT Division, and is funded primarily through NWT Health and Social Services.  The Line started operations on May 1, 1993. Initially, the Line was only available to Yellowknife and surrounding communities of Ndilo and Dettah.  As operations strengthened and more volunteers were trained and recruited a toll free 1-800 number was introduced.

This enabled the Help Line to expand its service to 35 communities within the NWT (this also included what is now Nunavut) in December 1993.  In June 1996 the NWT HIV/AIDS Info Line was amalgamated and in September 1997, an Interactive Voice System was also added.  This System allows for 24 hour accessibility to information on topics such as depression, HIV/AIDS, and suicide prevention.