Strategy

Crisis Hot Lines are an important component of a comprehensive community plan to decrease death by suicide. PSN reviewed evidence that showed hotlines:

1. Are preferred by youth over mental health centers, especially if they are known to cater to youth and provide peer counselors.
2. Provide a service for individuals troubled by suicidal ideation.
3. Succeed in attracting populations they are designed to help.
4. Are associated with decreases in suicide rates among white females under 25, the most frequent users of hotline services.
5. Reach otherwise underserved populations in the community. However, the impact of crisis hotlines may be improved if enhanced by appropriate advertising and if hotline personnel are trained in how to respond more specifically to callers regardless of the caller’s problems.

Actions

• Crisis hotlines are made prominently available throughout the community.

Next Steps

• Identify the number of crisis hotlines, number of calls received from youth aged 10 to 24, the nature of hotline calls, and gaps and coordination issues in the local service area.
• Develop a plan to track calls to collect data as an aid to monitoring effectiveness.
• Develop and implement strategies for making crisis hotlines more user friendly to youth.
• Use a variety of media to publicize availability of crisis lines and crisis services to community members, families, and youth, especially youth at high suicide risk.
• Monitor, evaluate and improve standards for crisis line services.
• Request data on youth crisis situations with local services (SACS, 911 call center, local emergency rooms, etc.) for analysis and action.
• Provide Santa Clara County Mental Health Department with input to make suicide prevention hotline services more available and user friendly.

Get Help Now (available 24/7)