By LAURA WILLIAMS

An online course being run this Wednesday by Lifeline Central West is set to help locals become much-needed connectors to members of their community as calls to the national telephone counselling service break records.

The Lifeline Accidental Counsellor course - originally to be held at the Coonamble Bowling Club this coming week - will now be offered online, and is designed to equip community members with the skills to recognise and assist a person in distress.

“We need the community to support volunteers who are working harder than ever,” says Lifeline Australia Chair John Brogden.

With twenty per cent more hospitalisations due to mental illness, rural areas are particularly vulnerable to the burden of loneliness. Particularly impacted are those who are isolating alone or have lost business due to the state-wide restrictions in place.

After remaining largely free of COVID-19 for almost two years, the Delta strain that plunged Western Plains communities into isolation has had a detrimental effect on mental health.

Within the second day of New South Wale's state-wide lockdown, Lifeline recorded nearly 3,500 calls from distressed residents, the highest number in its 57-year history.

“The record-smashing demand for Australia’s largest suicide prevention line is a reminder that this is a physical and mental health pandemic,” said Mr Brogden.

With rural people twice as likely to die by suicide than those in metro areas, the concern is heightened for regions like the Western Plains.

Now more than ever, the community needs well-prepared shoulders to lean on.

Lifeline trainers believe friends, workmates, neighbours and staff in local businesses can become more confident in supporting each other.

The five-hour course offers the opportunity to become a ‘community connector’, providing the skills to recognise, respond to and refer a person in crisis.

It is hoped that having more on-the-ground support will help to alleviate the pressure on local health services.

“Lifeline volunteers have been working harder than ever since 2019 to support people at risk, and they need support to continue operating at this pace, Mr Brogden said. 

As case numbers in the Central West continue to grow, the need for increased mental support is pressing, though COVID-19 is not the only factor of concern as the effects of previous droughts and the ongoing mice plague continue to rattle local economies.

The five-hour online course will be held on zoom and is open to participants without experience or pre-existing skills and comes at no cost.

The Lifeline Accidental Counsellor course will be held online on Wednesday, September 1 from 9 am to 12:30 pm.

To register to participate and become a Community Connector, call 1800 798 258.

If you are struggling with the effects of isolation, call Lifeline 24/7 crisis line on 13 11 14