Crisis & Emergency Services

Crisis & Emergency Services

Emergency Services

Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES), Crisis Response Teams and Community Response Teams provide specialized mental health and addiction services, including intensive assessment and crisis intervention for patients arriving with acute and critical psychiatric disorders. 

Available via these hospital emergency rooms
or by calling the 24-hour crisis line: 1-888-494-3888.


24-Hour Vancouver Island Crisis Line

1-888-494-3888

The Vancouver Island Crisis Line provides a supportive listening ear for people in emotional distress and connection to emergency mental health services when needed.

Crisis Chat - 6 - 10 p.m. Seven days a week

Visit the Crisis Line website at www.vicrisis.ca

Crisis Text - 6 - 10 p.m. Seven days a week

1-250-800-3806 from your cell phone.

KUU-US Crisis Line

This is a resource for suicide prevention for Indigenous people on Vancouver Island and in the province of British Columbia. Help is available 24 hours a day. If you are facing a crisis, call any time.

Adult Crisis Line:   250-723-4050     
Youth Crisis Line:  250-723-2040
Vancouver Island and through the Province of BC:  1-800-588-8717

If you are in a situation that involves immediate risk of harm to self or others, please call 911.

General Information on Crisis & Emergency Services

Referral Required?
Not required

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News & Events

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Herculean effort supports cancer patients during Highway 4 wildfire closure 

The impact of the Cameron Lake wildfires and resulting Highway 4 closure on people living and working in Port Alberni, Tofino and other nearby communities has been immense, including those requiring specialized cancer care. Despite being cut off from the critical medical services they needed, the devoted cancer care teams at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) and BC Cancer – Victoria jumped into action to ensure cancer patients got the care they needed.

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temporary service interruption extended

Temporary Saanich Peninsula Hospital Emergency Department Service Hours Extended 

Due to ongoing physician recruitment challenges and to continue to support local residents with health-care service access they need during daytime and evening hours when the Saanich Peninsula Hospital (SPH) emergency department is busiest, Island Health is extending a temporary overnight closure of the emergency department.

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image of temporary service interruption

Temporary service interruption at Port Hardy Hospital emergency department

Due to a temporary shortage of nursing coverage, the Port Hardy Hospital (PHH) emergency department (ED) will be closed for the remainder of August 17, beginning immediately.

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