13YARN crisis supporter Danielle Gibson wants to help "break the cycle" of intergenerational trauma

"I had recently got out of a 16-year relationship when this opportunity came up and I've always been into helping people and wanting to help my people specifically so I jumped straight at it," she told the Daily Liberal.

"I think I might have been one of the first to apply, I was so keen. I wanted to show, not just my children, but my family that are local, that it's okay and we have to be able to speak up even if it's just those small things which can actually have a big impact."

Ms Gibson - who is a Dubbo local - works for 13YARN, a service which offers confidential "yarns" with Lifeline-trained Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporters. Call takers like Ms Gibson are on hand to provide a listening ear 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Since it launched in March last year, the "life saving" service - which is supported by funding from the Australian Government and Lifeline - has received over 24,000 calls from people all across Australia.

Ms Gibson said for people going through a mental health crisis, having a non-judgemental person to open up to about their struggles can make a big difference.

"They're happy that they can ring up and not feel judgement and knowing that it's a confidential line. It makes people feel more comfortable to be able to reach out," she said.l

"What made me so eager to help was seeing the suicide rates for my communities and out far west - I have a lot of mob from out that way so, to bring awareness to the suicide rates was a really big thing for me and I thought I can help people

"I think it's a massive step in the right direction, we've come a long way but we still have a long way to go and 13YARN is a big starting point."

According to figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, suicide accounts for 40 percent of all deaths of Indigenous children and the suicide death rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is approximately twice that for non-Indigenous people.

"Things that might be small to other people are not always small. That can lead to suicide or mental health issues and we want our people to know its is okay to speak up about anything, anything at all," she said.

"Especially when there's a lot of intergenerational traumas involved, it becomes a cycle and then it becomes normalised. So to break that cycle is a massive thing for us."

Amidst tight-knit Indigenous communities, reaching out for help can be especially challenging, Ms Gibson said. But she hopes services like 13YARN will encourage people who are struggling to speak up and find healthier coping mechanisms "instead of lashing out and holding feelings in".

"I'm not sure whether it's a denial thing or a confrontational thing - but we want to get them to understand it is okay to seek help and it's not what it used to be," Ms Gibson said.

"It's not always a pride thing, it's more a shame thing. So to be able to engage with my people and get them to be able to speak up and understand that they don't have to have shame around their feelings, that's a big thing for me."

"We're all Aboriginal and we all have those feelings but in order to change that cycle we have to be able to speak up."

As well as helping others, Ms Gibson said working at 13YARN has helped her reflect on her own life and her own challenges.

"My children were very proud and they know how hard the job is. There are days where I come home more drained than others and [my children] understand that I'm helping my people and am big on trying to change that cycle, that's something I instil in my children," she said.

"I didn't realise how intense [the job] was and it made me look at my own life and make sure that I am going in the right direction for myself - it opens my mind to a lot and gives me ways to be able to cope with these kinds of situations than I did previously."

"It was a big wake up call, and a good big wake up call."

Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone 13YARN 13 92 76; Lifeline 13 11 14.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: