Community Help Service

Community Help Service (CHS) runs a 24-hour Helpline - Tel. +32 2 648 4014 - that takes thousands of calls a year from people suffering from anxiety, depression, loneliness, and other mental health issues. Mental health conditions are now one of the biggest challenges facing society. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly a billion people live with a mental disorder, and suicide accounts for more than 1 in 100 deaths. Our English-speaking Helpline provides a safe and confidential space for people of all ages in Belgium and beyond who struggle to cope with their lives. In recent years, we have noticed an increase in the number of calls from people in work facing stress and burnout, and, so we are keen to raise awareness of our services amongst this demographic. A team of trained volunteers, under the supervision of professional therapists, operate the CHS Helpline. We took nearly 5,000 calls last year. On average, one call a day is received from someone who is suicidal. Although this is an English-language service, many callers are not native English speakers, and roughly 20% of calls are made from a non-Belgian phone number. A non-profit organisation based in Brussels, CHS also runs a Mental Health Services Centre (MHSC) where a team of professional therapists offer longer-term support for all ages. All the therapists work in English but many speak other languages too. Call +32 2 647 67 80 for more information about the centre. A full list of our therapists and their areas of expertise can be found on our website: https://www.chsbelgium.org/