#YouAreNotAlone

A Mental Health Initiative

By Rotaract One Asean

The Listener’s Handbook

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 1

 Mental Health/ Suicide Helplines

Myanmar

1. Call Me Today (Facebook Link)

https://www.facebook.com/CallMeToday.Service/

2. Mental Health Hospital, Mandalay Online Service (Facebook Link)

https://www.facebook.com/103126181374460/posts/110567053963706/?d=n

3. Metanoia (Facebook Link)

https://www.facebook.com/142712319786346/posts/472778333446408/?vh=e&d=nk

Philippines

1. National Center for Mental Health

(02) 85319001

2. HOPELINE of the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation

Call (02) 804-4673

Call 0917-558-4673

3. Emotional Crisis and Suicide Prevention Hotline:

0917-558-4673 (Globe)

0918-873-4673 (Smart)

02-88044673 (PLDT)

2919 (toll-free for Globe and TM)

Malaysia

1. Befrienders 0379568145

2. Talian Kasih 15999

3. Sols Health 6018-664-0247

4. Lifeline 03-42657995

5. Women aid 0379563488

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 2

Thailand

1. The Samaritans of Thailand, Bangkok

Thai: Call (02) 713-6793 (12 noon – 10:00 pm)

English: Call (02) 713-6791 (24 hours/day)

2. The Samaritans of Thailand, Chiang Mai

Call (053) 225-977/8 (7:00 pm – 10 pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat)

Singapore

1. Care Corner Counselling Centre

Call 1800-353-5800

2. eCounselling Centre (Online Counselling)

https://www.ec2.sg/

3. Institute of Mental Health (IMH)

Call 6389 2222 (24hr helpline)

Bangladesh

Kaan Pete Roi: http://shuni.org/

Indonesia

Hotline 500-454

Pakistan

Suicide Prevention Helpline – MIND

Call 042-35761999

India (NATIONWIDE)

1. iCALL Psychosocial Helpline

Call 022-2552 1111 (Mon-Sat, 8am to 10pm)

2. Saath Suicide Prevention Helpline

Call +91-79-26305544 (1pm to 7pm)

3. Sumaitri

Call 011-23389090 (Mon-Fri 2pm to 10pm and Sat-Sun 10am to 10pm)

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 3

4. Vandrevala Foundation Mental Health Helpline

Call 1860-266-2345 / 1800-233-3330

Nepal

1. Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal (PTO Nepal)

Call 1660-0102005

2. Mental Health Helpline Nepal

Call 1660-0133666 (8am-8pm)

New Zealand

1. Lifeline

0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE)

2. Samaritans

0800 726 666

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Sumithrayo – Bandarawela

Call 011 057 2222662

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 4

 A to Z of YANA Listening System

Receive Caller’s Details and Listener’s Handbook from YANA committee

Vet through the details of the Caller

Set an appointment with the Caller via suitable platform

Keep the Handbook + Script prepared

Receive the Call

Listener to make sure read out the DISCLAIMER to the caller prior to the session

At minute 25, Listener to start summarizing the session

Listener to provide Feedback Google form to the Caller before ending the session

At minute 30, to end the session

Listener to inform YANA committee on the completion

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 5

The Do’s and Don’ts as a Listener
1. Take note what is NOT our job scope
❌ treating a patient or victim
❌ aggressively obtain information of their trauma or losses
❌ labelling, judging or diagnosing their illness etc.
❌ playing a psychologist, therapist or any licensed professional

2. This is our job scope:

✅ Emotional support
✅ Listening, let them vent feelings
✅ Calm people, reduce stress
✅ Make people feel safe
✅ Establish human connection
✅ Foster self confidence
✅ Get people through the initial period of high intensity and uncertainty
✅ Non political, religious, cultural
✅ Encourage their relationships with friends and family
✅ Link them to relevant help or agencies
✅ Help them gain clarity of situation at hand, list priorities for decision making

 LOOK for people with needs

 LISTEN and help them feel safe, connected, confident
 LINK them to relevant info, help and support group

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 6

You Are Not Alone (YANA)

Listeners Conversation Guide

How to Start

1. Start in a friendly manner, avoid formalities: Hi Joe, how are you!

2. Before we begin, allow me to read out our disclaimer, S.O.P is troublesome, isn’t it
so? (be lighthearted)

“Kindly note that this is an emotional support session, and does not substitute an actual
professional help or advice. (expertise constraint) We will gladly refer you if you need a
professional attention.

Our listeners' duty is to listen, provide human connection and encouragement only. (scope
constraint)

Our session together will be on ABC topic, for the next 30 minutes. (topic/ time constraint)

If you are agreeable to this, kindly say yes and we shall begin (getting your first yes)”

General Guidelines

1. Ask questions that allow them to express themselves

2. Listen intensely, simply saying yes or nodding, don’t interrupt their flow.

3. Acknowledge their feelings. Empathize. Use correct tonality (curious, sincere, etc).

4. Refer to following pages for further elaboration.

How to End

1. Sum up the session. Applaud them for their courage in sharing.

2. Connect them to relevant resources or professional help.

3. Inform them they can book another session by filling up the form.

4. Provide them the link to feedback form.

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 7

The Listener’s Attitude

1. Be empathetic. If you are concerned, your voice and manner will show it

2. Listen. Let the person unload despair, ventilate anger. If given an opportunity to do
this, he or she will feel better by the end of the call. No matter how negative the call
seems, the fact that it exists is a positive sign, a cry for help.

3. Be sympathetic, non-judgmental, patient, calm, accepting. The caller has done the
right thing by getting in touch with another person.

4. Simply talking about their problems for a length of time will give people relief from
loneliness and pent up feelings, awareness that another person cares, and a feeling of
being understood. They also get tired -- their body chemistry changes. These things
take the edge off their agitated state and help them get through a bad night.

The Listener’s Red Zone a.k.a We Avoid This.

1. Avoid arguments, problem solving, expert advice giving, belittling and making the
caller feel that has to justify his feelings. It is not how bad the problem is, but how
badly its hurting the person who has it.

2. Do not go it alone. Get help if needed during the call and debrief afterwards.

3. Your caller may be concerned about someone else who is stressed. Just listen,
reassure him that he is doing the right thing by taking the situation seriously, and
sympathize with his stressful situation.

4. At all times, we avoid injecting our worldview of politics, religion or moral traditions
into the session.

The most important pain-coping resource is the help of a trained mental health
professional. A person who feels suicidal or seriously depressed should get help, and get
it sooner rather than later.

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 8

If The Caller Has Suicidal Thoughts or Equivalent

1. If the caller is saying I’m so depressed, I can’t go on, ask The Question: Are you
having thoughts of suicide?

You are not putting ideas in his head, you are doing a good thing for him. You are
showing him that you are concerned, that you take him seriously, that it is OK for him
to share his pain with you.

2. If the answer is yes, you can begin asking a series of further questions:
Have you thought about how you would do it (PLAN);
Have you got what you need (MEANS);
Have you thought about when you would do it (TIME SET).

95% of all suicidal callers will answer no at some point in this series or indicate that
the time is set for some date in the future. This will be a relief for both of you.

3. Refer his case to our qualified experts panel, or provide him the number to call for
professional help.

Listeners Might Need Help Too

1. Some of you might need debriefing too after a heavy emotional session. Kindly reach
out to a fellow listener in your circle.

2. Your debriefing partner shall abide by similar good practices of being a Listener.

3. In near future, we shall provide you with more training by professionals or link you to
resources to better your skillset and mindset.

4. As always, provide the committee your feedback in order for us to better support you
to support many others.

THE LISTENER’S HANDBOOK 9