Psychosocial Crisis Service in the Innsbrucker Land: Fast, easily accessible and professional help for people in mental crises
Since October 2020, Addiction Help Tyrol (SHT) and Psychosocial Nursing Service Tyrol (PSP) have been offering the Psychosocial Service (PKT) on behalf of the State of Tyrol and social insurance. The Psychosocial Crisis Service is a telephone contact point for people in Tyrol who are in a stressful or crisis situation. The greater goal of the telephone crisis service is to create relief and to defuse the crisis situation in discussions with psychotherapists. On the weekends, there is also the possibility of reaching the people affected at home in order to find relief for them and their social environment on site.
“In the past few years, we have experienced that the population in the Innsbruck Land district is more reluctant to contact the crisis service than the Innsbruck population in the city. Compared to Innsbruck (130 contacts per 10,000 inhabitants), far fewer affected people contact us from the towns in the Innsbruck Land district (around 59 contacts per 10,000 inhabitants). We would therefore like to make our offer better known to those seeking help in the Innsbruck Land district,” reports Dr. Christian Häring, project leader of the PKT.
“People who have a crisis over the phone are not a homogeneous group. The biggest worries and stresses of our callers are caused by psychological problems, conflicts in the social environment and social isolation. It is often suicidal crises, a life situation that seems meaningless, that make people dial the phone,” says Dr. Eveline Kastner, psychotherapist at the PKT in Hall in Tirol. Especially in the case of conflicts in the family, or when relatives feel overwhelmed, supportive talks to de-escalate situations could be defused and advice given as to how such stressful situations could become in the future. In addition to help in the acute situation, those affected and those seeking help receive the necessary further information on the appropriate care structures.
On the weekends, people in a situation directly before a crisis are offered on-site intervention and relieving talks. “This means that if necessary, we drive directly to the people in crisis situations. The team from the Psychosocial Service for Crisis Situations, consisting of psychotherapists and psychiatric nursing staff, manages to reduce the acute stress in discussions with those affected and to develop new options and solution steps. Depending on the occasion and situation, we coordinate with the rescue services, with the doctors and with the needs of the social environment.” reports Leo Alber from the Tyrolean Psychosocial Service.
“The psychosocial service is a lifeline for people in mental distress. It is important that we build up this low-threshold range of help in all regions in order to reach everyone in Tyrol who needs support,” emphasizes Gabriele Fischer, Minister for Social Affairs and appeals: “Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone if you have fears, worries and problems . Conversations can help and save lives in an emergency.” The crisis service can be reached by telephone on 0800 40 120 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.