Supporting ethnocultural diverse callers in crisis services: Identifying barriers and providing culturally affirming care

Monica Sesma-Vazquez; Tara Collins; Ahlam Fakih; Melissa Mostert; Kendra Neeb; Karen Lazaruk; Nasiha Fazal; Nathanael Hammond; Tristan McSwiney; Mariam Ismail; Aslaug Woelstad; Sarah Binnendyk; Ying Zhang; Sandra Thoms; Robyn Romano; Sarah Sandall

doi:10.20897/femenc/18176

Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics

Research Article

2026, 10(1), Article No: 32

Supporting ethnocultural diverse callers in crisis services: Identifying barriers and providing culturally affirming care

Monica Sesma-Vazquez ¹, Tara Collins ¹ ^* , Ahlam Fakih ¹, Melissa Mostert ¹, Kendra Neeb ¹, Karen Lazaruk ¹, Nasiha Fazal ¹, Nathanael Hammond ¹, Tristan McSwiney ¹, Mariam Ismail ¹, Aslaug Woelstad ¹, Sarah Binnendyk ¹, Ying Zhang ¹, Sandra Thoms ¹, Robyn Romano ¹, Sarah Sandall ¹

¹ University of Calgary, CANADA
^* Corresponding Author

https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18176

Published in Volume 10 Issue 1: 23 Mar 2026

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Abstract

Racialized individuals face significant stigma and discrimination that has been shown to be correlated with an increased risk of suicide and mental health issues. Although crisis lines are effective in deterring suicide in White populations, ethnocultural diverse communities often encounter lack of affirming care, language barriers, and distrust of service providers which deters them from accessing potentially lifesaving lines. In Canada there is a paucity of research on how crisis helplines can be designed to be culturally relevant and inclusive and what strategies are most effective in supporting racialized individuals. In order to determine how to best support racialized communities, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 responders and stakeholders who worked with ethnoculturally diverse populations. The research employed reflexive thematic analysis informed by Socioculturally Attuned Theory and Critical Race Theory. Data was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, facilitated by NVivo 14. Participants of diverse educational backgrounds and varying levels of cultural humility training took part in the interviews. Findings reveal significant barriers to accessing crisis services, including racialized structuring of systems, structural cultural invisibility in mental health systems, institutional betrayal and racialized surveillance, and institutional mistrust and systemic exclusion. Themes promoting trust include adapting language practices, fostering community partnerships, and practicing cultural humility. This study underscores the urgent need for culturally attuned crisis services. Recommendations include: (a) adapting language practices (e.g., eliminating jargon, ensuring translation), (b) building trust through community partnerships, and (c) practicing cultural humility. Recommendations emphasize the need for culturally affirming training, accessible language resources, and systemic changes to address historical and ongoing inequities

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APA 7th edition

In-text citation: (Sesma-Vazquez et al., 2026)
Reference: Sesma-Vazquez, M., Collins, T., Fakih, A., Mostert, M., Neeb, K., Lazaruk, K., Fazal, N., Hammond, N., McSwiney, T., Ismail, M., Woelstad, A., Binnendyk, S., Zhang, Y., Thoms, S., Romano, R., & Sandall, S. (2026). Supporting ethnocultural diverse callers in crisis services: Identifying barriers and providing culturally affirming care. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 10(1), Article 32. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18176

AMA 10th edition

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Sesma-Vazquez M, Collins T, Fakih A, et al. Supporting ethnocultural diverse callers in crisis services: Identifying barriers and providing culturally affirming care. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics. 2026;10(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18176

Chicago

In-text citation: (Sesma-Vazquez et al., 2026)
Reference: Sesma-Vazquez, Monica, Tara Collins, Ahlam Fakih, Melissa Mostert, Kendra Neeb, Karen Lazaruk, Nasiha Fazal, Nathanael Hammond, Tristan McSwiney, Mariam Ismail, Aslaug Woelstad, Sarah Binnendyk, Ying Zhang, Sandra Thoms, Robyn Romano, and Sarah Sandall. "Supporting ethnocultural diverse callers in crisis services: Identifying barriers and providing culturally affirming care". Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics 2026 10 no. 1 (2026): 32. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18176

Harvard

In-text citation: (Sesma-Vazquez et al., 2026)
Reference: Sesma-Vazquez, M., Collins, T., Fakih, A., Mostert, M., Neeb, K., Lazaruk, K., . . . Sandall, S. (2026). Supporting ethnocultural diverse callers in crisis services: Identifying barriers and providing culturally affirming care. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 10(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18176

MLA

In-text citation: (Sesma-Vazquez et al., 2026)
Reference: Sesma-Vazquez, Monica et al. "Supporting ethnocultural diverse callers in crisis services: Identifying barriers and providing culturally affirming care". Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, vol. 10, no. 1, 2026, 32. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18176

Vancouver

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Sesma-Vazquez M, Collins T, Fakih A, Mostert M, Neeb K, Lazaruk K, et al. Supporting ethnocultural diverse callers in crisis services: Identifying barriers and providing culturally affirming care. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics. 2026;10(1):32. https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18176

Keywords

crisis line, culturally affirming care, ethnoculturally diverse callers, crisis responders, suicide

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