If you are in distress, you can call or text 988 at any time. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency department.

Home › Resources › Talking to someone in crisis during COVID-19

Talking to someone in crisis during COVID-19

The current COVID-19 pandemic is a source of anxiety for people across the country and your colleagues, friends or family may reach out to you for support. How should you respond? Use our active listening tips to navigate these sensitive conversations with more confidence.

DO – Tell them you’re there to listen and help them find the next step 
DO – Practice empathy by considering the needs of people different than yourself, especially those in vulnerable populations.
DO – Pause to reflect on what the caller has told you and share back your understanding, showing the caller they’ve been heard
DO – Mirror back what you’re hearing in your own words rather than parroting what they’ve told you
DO – Validate the caller’s feelings and concerns.
DO – Ask if it’s OK to connect the person with other helpful resources, e.g., food bank, public health, employment insurance information)
DO – Provide specific websites and phone numbers. Make sure the resources you’re directing people to are currently available. When possible, connect the person directly to the resource.

Download the posterDownload the PDF

Feedback Form

Hey, thanks for checking out this resource. After you’ve seen it, we’d love to learn a bit more about your interests and how you found us. Was the information what you looking for? Was it helpful? We’ll use any feedback you provide to further improve what we do.

Are you willing to be contacted within 3 to 6 months for a short follow-up survey?
In case of “Yes” – please provide an email address
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

SHARE THIS PAGE

RELATED

Examining Two Psychosocial Factors in Long-Term Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic : Policy Brief
Guiding questions in the brief: What barriers and facilitators support psychological self-care and protection from moral distress for long-term care workers and their organizations? How has the pandemic impacted these...
READ MORE

Mental Health and Substance Use During COVID-19: Regional Spotlight and Key Factors
Mental health and substance use concerns have remained elevated in all province. The Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction tracked the relationship...
READ MORE

Strategies for Post-Secondary Student Mental Health during COVID
This resource can help Canada’s post-secondary community build and improve their student mental health strategies — based on emerging evidence on COVID-19 and guided by the National Standard for Mental...
READ MORE