Emergency: 911

Administration:  

250-537-9711

Number to our local Police Department.

Phone:

1-250-537-5555

If you are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, please call the Vancouver Island Crisis Line, available 24/7 at

1-888-494-3888

You can also call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department

Phone:

1-250-538-4804

Toll-Free:

1-866-215-4700

This line offers confidential health information and advice from registered nurses. Call BC Nurse Line from anywhere in the province to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day or a pharmacist from 5 pm to 9 am daily.

Toll-Free:  

1-800-661-2121

This is a 24-hour line providing free information, referrals, and support for mental health and mental illness issues. This line does not provide crisis support. However, it can refer callers to emergency crisis resources in their communities.

We provide a single access point for individuals seeking adult mental health and substance use services. Services are available for residents of Salt Spring, Saturna, Mayne, Galiano and Pender Islands.

Services provided

• Case management
• Crisis stabilization nurse
• Referrals to the most appropriate service, team or community resource
• Connection to on and off-island mental health and substance use services such as counselling (including virtual), psychiatry and withdrawal management

How to access services

• Start the self-referral process by booking an appointment with our team: 250-538-4711.
• We accept referrals from individuals, clinicians, community agencies, and health and social services professionals. 
• Please see details on the Mental Health and Substance Use Intake Referral Form

Find additional information, resources and tools to support your well-being on our Mental Health and Substance Use Resources page.

The Salt Spring Mental Wellness Initiative:

Is an Initiative of the Salt Spring Health Advancement Network with its charitable partner, the Salt Spring Community Health Society. One of the unique qualities of the MWI is its involvement of lived and living experience experts at the decision-making  table as equal partners - lived and living experience with mental illness, substance abuse, homelessness, or any other factor that relates to social justice and intersectionality. All services offered on an outreach basis. As of November 1st 2024 we have two outreach workers: Will MacPherson and Miriam Reid.

Salt Spring Island peer support services:

-Emotional Support, Quality listening, and Spaceholding: When life is challenging, speaking to someone who feels compassion supports our ability to process how we feel (When people don’t know how to hold space, they often bypass a person’s distress and try to “fix” their problem)

-System Navigation: It can be challenging to know what resources are available on Salt Spring. We support clients in identifying existing resources appropriate for their circumstances. We can also be present as clients connect to those resources because for some dealing with service personnel can be triggering

-Rides to Appointments: We support clients in making it to their appointments. This might mean driving to and from appointments, attending the appointment if our presence is helpful, and reminders so clients don’t forget their appointments

-Accompaniment to the Hospital: We can accompany clients to the hospital for medical care to ensure a mutually supportive experience between hospital staff and our clients

-Advocacy & Mediation with Landlords: It’s difficult to find appropriate housing on Salt Spring and conflicts can develop between landlords and tenants. We can support clients dealing with these potentially triggering circumstances, while working as their advocates

-Support Communicating with RCMP: Assistance navigating issues, ticket fines, and charges with the RCMP as well as accompanying clients during official police interviews

-Trips Off Island: We can take clients off island for medical appointments, court dates, and other scheduled events. This is at the discretion of the Peer Support Coordinator and the Mental Wellness Initiative Coordinator. 

MWI programs evolve dynamically, because we listen and incorporate client feedback through our working groups. We use partnerships to approach the challenges we face  as a community. There are  numerous partner sponsors including Umbrella Society, Island Health Mental Health & Substance Use Team, The Chuan Society, & the Salt Spring Public Library.

Contact info: Will MacPherson, Programs Coordinator

Cell: 604-773-6559 Email: outreachsaltspring@gmail.com

David Norget, MWI Coordinator

Cell: 250-221-7243 Email: davidnorget@gmail.com

Information For Alerts and People

Who Use Substances  This page contains important information about staying safe. Use this page for the latest on signing up for Toxic Drug and Public Health Alerts, as well as accessing overdose prevention, drug checking and substance use services in BC.

Sign up and receive Toxic Drug and Health Alerts by text.  Toward the Heart and BCCDC have partnered with health authority and community partners to send anonymous toxic drug and health alerts by text in B.C.

Toxic drug and health alerts is a free, real-time text messaging service for anyone to receive toxic drug alerts or share information about toxic drugs in their community. This service is anonymous. People can get other information by text message, like where to find naloxone or how to get drugs tested. Toxic drug and health alerts are currently available in Interior, Fraser, Northern, Vancouver Island, and Vancouver Coastal Health regions. 

To sign up, text the word JOIN to 253787 (ALERTS). Message and data rates may apply. 

Visit website for more Information: Click to visit