Lifeline is the Northern Ireland crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress or despair. No matter what your age or where you live in Northern Ireland, if you are or someone you know is in distress or despair, Lifeline is here to help.
This service is available to anyone, including young people 24 hours per day, every day of the year.
If parents are concerned about a crisis mental health situation, they can take their child to A & E, or can speak to their local GP for advice in the first instance.
We are aware that some young people who are distressed are awaiting an appointment from CAMHS. If a young person's mental health worsens whilst on the CAMHS waiting list parents should telephone their local CAMHS and speak to them about this.
We are posting additional mental health information advice and support on the Familyworks website, on Facebook and Instagram on the 23rd of December and before the New Year as well.
It is hard to guess what January holds for us all, but we look forward to a future where hopes are realised for our young people, for the staff who care for them, and for our wider society. We have contingency plans for several eventualities in the New Year so we will work alongside our schools to do our very best for you all.