Help Line Available for Residential School Victims

Help Line Available for Residential School Victims

Friday, October 29, 2004 at 14:55

 

 

A national agency has set up a toll-free support line for residential school survivors.

 

The Indian Residential School Survivors Society says as many as 90,000 First Nations people across the country need support in dealing with their residential school experience.

 

The society has been trying to provide help for those victims for the past 10 years.

 

Just recently, the society established a 24-hour, 1-800 support line to help provide that assistance.

 

The society’s executive director, Sharon Thira, says many of the callers are elders and want help in dealing with thoughts of suicide.

 

Thira says as many as 100 callers a month get help in dealing with residential school abuse.

 

Thira adds that the service is in English and French, but if language is a barrier, a language consultant will provide service in a First Nations language.

 

The number for the Survivors Support Line is 1-866-925-4419.