What Is It Like to Call a Hotline?

If you've never called a telephone counseling hotline before, you may be wondering what to expect. To help you feel more comfortable about calling us, we've tried to answer a few of the questions you may have about Helpline 2-1-1:

Do I need to be "in crisis" before I call you?
No, not at all. Many people call us simply to obtain information and referrals for local community services. Others just have something that's on their mind that they want to talk over with someone outside of the current situation. Of course, some callers are in serious emotional crisis, and we're here for that too.

How do you help people who call you?
Whether someone is seeking referrals or counseling or both, the first and most important way we try to help is just by really listening. Helpline 2-1-1 is a place you can call when you need to talk to someone who will be supportive and non-judgmental, and who will try very hard to understand exactly what you're saying and how you're feeling. We also can help you think through your situation or problem and explore your options, to help you figure out what you want to do, if anything.

Do you give advice?
It sometimes surprises people, but no, we don't give advice. We believe that you are the person who knows your situation best and that you are in a much better position than we are to figure out what is best for your own life. Which isn't to say we won't sometimes offer suggestions for you to consider when you're feeling stuck, just that we won't advocate for any particular option as being best for you. Our role is to be a sounding board, and to help you reach your own, unique answers.

Is talking to a hotline counselor kind of like going to therapy?
No, it's not really like therapy, and our counselors are not therapists. The kind of counseling we're able to do on the phone is very different from the kind of counseling a professional therapist can offer you. Hotline counseling is focused on the present, on what is going on right now. We are not able to explore long-term issues or events from your past, except to focus on how those things might be impacting you right now, today. If you are interested in receiving counseling for ongoing concerns, we can refer you therapists in the community.

Who are your counselors? What kind of training do they have?
Most of our counselors are volunteers or they started out as volunteers before joining our staff. By and large, they are not professional mental health counselors, but just people from the community who have a knack for listening and a desire to help. All of our hotline counselors are adults who have received more than 75 hours of intensive training and supervision before beginning their work on the hotline.

Will my call be confidential?
Confidentiality is one of our most important policies. Every volunteer and staff member signs a strict confidentiality agreement before they can enter our facility or talk with a caller. The critical importance of protecting confidentiality is emphasized during every phase of training and hotline work. That being said, there are two circumstances in which we might need to break confidentiality: 1) We are required by law to report the abuse or neglect of vulnerable persons (children, the disabled, the elderly, or otherwise vulnerable adult) when we have been given identifying information. However, the caller always has the option to talk about the abuse situation and to receive support without telling us identifying information such as names, locations, or phone numbers. If the caller does not choose to tell us such information, we have no means or requirement to file a report; 2) We may, in very extreme circumstances, break confidentiality if we believe someone's life is in immediate danger. This is very rare. No caller should assume that Helpline 2-1-1 will attempt to send help against their will. In the great majority of calls, even when a caller is seriously suicidal, we protect the caller's expressed wishes and confidentiality, even when we are worried. First, there is often no way to find someone in trouble unless the caller has told us the location. Second, we believe that, unless the risk is very substantial, immediate, and certain, our most valuable role is to provide a trusted source of support to people in crisis.

We hope these answers have helped to understand what Helpline 2-1-1 does and what it might be like to call us. If you have additional questions or concerns, please send a message to our Director of Hotline Programs or call Helpline2-1-1, 24-hours a day.