Greetings!
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CrisisLink News
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Sign-Up Now for CrisisLink's next ASIST
Workshop, Sept. 13 & 14
ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills
Training) is
an evidence-based training that helps people
effectively recognize and intervene to
prevent suicide.
The training is a highly interactive,
practical, and
practice-oriented, two-day workshop.
For more information or to register today, please click here.
Town of Herndon Proclamation Recognizes
National Suicide
Prevention Week
On September 9, Town of
Herndon Mayor Steve DeBenedittis will issue a
proclamation at the Town Council's public
session in recognition of National Suicide
Prevention
Week (Sept. 7-13, 2008). CrisisLink
Executive Director Carol Loftur-Thun will
speak briefly at the event. For more
information about
this event, please visit the Town of
Herndon website and click on the
calendar of events. The Town Council's
public session will begin at 7pm.
CrisisLink's Hotline Volunteer Training
Class
Begins
Saturday, October 18!
Are you looking for meaningful experience as a
volunteer? CrisisLink's nationally recognized
Volunteer
Hotline Listener training program will begin
its Fall
Hotline Training Class on October 18. For more
information and a detailed training schedule,
please click
here.
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SPOTLIGHT ON: 24/7 Crisis & Suicide Prevention Hotlines
Sept. 7-13 marks National Suicide Prevention Week
Depression and suicide are
serious concerns in our region and across the
nation. More than 45 million Americans will
suffer from clinical depression at some point
in their lives, and an estimated 30% of all
clinically depressed individuals attempt
suicide. In the United States, more than
32,000 people
die by suicide each year (one suicide every 16
minutes) and suicide is the third leading
cause of
death among youth. But suicide is also one of
the most preventable causes of death, making
it vitally
important to provide people with the tools to
get help
when they need them the most.
Since 1969, CrisisLink has provided 24/7
Crisis &
Suicide Prevention Hotlines for the region.
Our free
and confidential Hotlines are available around
the clock to anyone suffering depression,
contemplating suicide, or facing another
crisis. They
are also available to anyone who might be
concerned
about a friend, colleague, or family member,
but who
doesn't quite know how to help. CrisisLink's
Hotlines provide suicide prevention, crisis
intervention, emotional support, and
information and referrals to other community
agencies.
Why call CrisisLink's Hotlines?
- To talk with someone who cares about
you.
- To talk with an empathic person if you
feel you might be in danger of hurting
yourself.
- To find referrals to mental health and
other community services.
- To get ideas and tips about how to help
someone you're concerned about.
CrisisLink's Hotlines are available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They
are staffed by highly trained
paraprofessional volunteers and crisis line
workers.
CrisisLink provides wrap-around suicide
prevention
services--before, during, and after a crisis
occurs. In
addition to our Hotlines, CrisisLink offers
workshops
and training programs on suicide prevention and
depression awareness; provides information and
referrals to community resources through 2-1-1
VIRGINIA and our Hotlines to connect people
to the
services they need before they reach a crisis
state; and
supports those who have suffered the loss of
a loved
one to suicide or other traumatic loss
through our
HOPE Program.
Learn more about CrisisLink's full range of programs.
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24/7 Crisis & Suicide Prevention Hotlines "Done in a Day" Sponsors
The following donors were the winning bidders
for
"Done in a Day" at LinkUp & Listen 2008. Each
bid on,
and won the opportunity to sponsor a day of
service for
CrisisLink's 24/7 Crisis & Suicide Prevention
Hotlines.
Fri., Sept. 5, 2008
Anonymous
Mon., Sept. 8, 2008
Loudoun Foundation
Tues.,
Sept. 9, 2008
Erik & Priscilla
Souto
Wed., Sept. 10, 2008
Betty Whitaker
Thurs., Sept. 11,
2008
Nathan & Sarah Reynolds
Fri., Sept. 12, 2008
Mark & Mary Beth
Pilipczuk
Tues., March 10, 2009
Charles Landry in honor of Carolyn
Landry
We truly appreciate the
support
of these donors, and all of our supporters
who make
our 24/7 Crisis & Suicide Prevention
Hotlines, and
other programs possible. Without your
support, we
wouldn't be able to do all we do to help
those in our
community who need it the most.
more info
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Conversations: Saving Lives and Preventing Tragedies Through Volunteer Service
Conversation with CrisisLink's Director of Hotline Services and Training
Q. Margaret, how important are
volunteers to CrisisLink?
A. Volunteers are the lifeblood of
CrisisLink. We consider our hotline
listeners on par with other first responders
since these volunteers are on the front lines
of preventing suicide with every call they
answer. Hotline volunteers are supported by
CrisisLink's larger volunteer community - and
it truly takes a community to prevent
suicide. Our Board of Directors, Advisory
Council,
Community Connections Team, Public Relations
Team, and many, many more volunteers sustain our
suicide prevention efforts. Each and every
volunteer contribution makes a difference in
saving lives.
Q. What kind of a commitment is the
Hotline Volunteer training?
A. It's a big commitment in terms of
time, willingness to learn and readiness to
help others. The initial training is 60
hours and each volunteer must commit to 150
hours (working one 3-hour shift per week for
one year or two 3-hour shifts per week for
six months) after training to serve the
people in our communities. There are many
rewards to this volunteer job. Training is
intense but also is interesting, fun, and
teaches communication skills that last a
lifetime. Our volunteers know that they are
making a difference in the lives of
individual people and in the strength of our
community. You also meet the best people
at CrisisLink!
Q. Are there specific requirements to
be a Hotline Listener?
A. Other than the minimum age
requirement of 21 years, attitude and
willingness to learn are high on our list.
We look for individuals who are empathic,
insightful, non-judgmental, committed, and who
also have a willingness to receive and give
feedback.
CrisisLink's volunteer community mimics the
population of our local communities. Our
volunteers are from all walks of life:
business professionals, homemakers, students,
teachers, retirees, law enforcement officers
and more, ranging in age from 21 to 80+, male
and female, with varying degrees of experience.
Q. What are the characteristics of a
good Hotline Listener?
A. Carl Rogers, an influential
American psychologist, and one of the
founders of the humanistic approach to
psychology, said that only three things are
required, 1) be yourself, 2) be empathic, and
3) accept and care about the other person.
Q. What can volunteers expect from a
typical hotline shift?
A. There really isn't a typical
shift. We get every type of call
you can imagine and some you can't. That is
one of the things that keeps this volunteer
job interesting and enables some people to
stay on for as long as 30 years.
Q. Now, the fall Hotline Training
Class
begins on Saturday, October 18, where can
people sign-up?
A. To sign-up for the fall Hotline
Training
Class, applicants must register and submit an
online application, available on our website.
Feel free to cruise around the volunteer
portion of our website-there is a lot more
information about training and the volunteer
experience. I look forward to meeting you on
October 18!
Q. What if someone wants to
volunteer at
CrisisLink, but doesn't know if being a
Hotline Listener is right for them, or if
they're under 21?
A. Great
question!
Even if you're not sure if being a Hotline
Listener is for you, we encourage you to
begin the process. Call our Volunteer
Manager and talk through any concerns or
questions you may have.
Our training program is extremely thorough
and ensures people are ready before they
start on the phones.
Many
people have breakthrough moments during
training where everything just clicks. If
the breakthrough moment doesn't happen or if
you're sure that being a Hotline Listener
isn't for you, no worries. CrisisLink has
many other opportunities for people to
volunteer and make a difference through our
Community Connections Team.
Learn
more about our Community Connections Team by
joining us on November 12 at 6pm or by
contacting Lindsay Paulette-Chapman at
703-527-6016 or by e-mail.
Thank you for your time Margaret. CrisisLink
is fortunate to have such a wonderful group
of committed volunteers lending their hearts
(and their ears!) to people in need.
Learn more about the CrisisLink Volunteer Experience
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Volunteer Spotlight: Katharine Connaughton
Why do you donate your time each week to
CrisisLink?
I first thought about working on a hotline
when I was in college. I didn't have time
then, but when I moved to the Arlington area I
revisited that idea. I wanted to get
involved in my new community and I really
like people. I know there is a need for
people to really listen, to really hear
another person because that rarely happens in
our busy lives. CrisisLink seemed like a
good place to do that. Working on a
one-on-one basis with people over the phone
sounded like something I could do. I was
relieved to see that CrisisLink offered
training because I think that's important and
the training gave me the confidence to do
this job.
Also, I wanted to meet
people in my new community, other volunteers.
It's a lot of fun to meet different people
and everyone at CrisisLink is nice and each
person is slightly different from the other.
The Relationships you form while volunteering
are different than relationships that happen
at work. Volunteer relationships are much
more relaxed. It's also nice knowing that
you can depend on your shift partners during
a difficult call.
What do you do as a volunteer?
I talk to people. I listen to people. I
care about people. Really, it's a different
kind of volunteer job when you go home
knowing that someone trusted you with their
innermost thoughts. I really enjoy talking
to everyone who calls but I do look forward
to making outreach calls to the senior
citizens we call every day. Some of the calls we
get are can be uplifting and it's always
nice to hear when things are going well for
any one of our callers. I've also done a lot
of other things at CrisisLink. I've helped
interview prospective volunteers, staffed
information booths at community events,
represented the volunteer community at
special events, helped distribute wallet
cards to area schools, and lots more. It's a
busy
place!
Besides CrisisLink, what else keeps you
busy?
Right now I'm busy packing to move out of the
area with my family. I'm applying for law
school and that's a lot of work. I'm really
going to miss CrisisLink. CrisisLink has
become my second home and it has helped me
grow. I've met a lot of great people and I
know that I've helped a lot of people too.
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Hotline Wallet Cards Distributed to Region's Students; Additional Supporters Sought
Public schools part of targeted suicide prevention effort in region
A 2007 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) revealed that 14.5% of U.S. high
school students seriously considered suicide in
the last 12 months. CrisisLink is working to
ensure students throughout the region receive Hotline
wallet
cards, part of an ongoing effort to prevent suicide
and help young people understand and cope with
depression. Young people are experiencing
unprecedented levels of stress, both in their personal
and academic lives. This can lead to feelings of
sadness, depression, anger, and at times, thoughts of
suicide.
It is important for students to know where to
turn if they, or someone they know, is having
trouble dealing with the pressure, is facing
crisis, or just needs an open ear to listen
to their concerns.
CrisisLink's Hotline wallet cards help students
access our free and confidential 24/7 Crisis
& Suicide Prevention Hotlines. The cards are
intended as resources to encourage young
people to reach out for help when they are
feeling depressed or suicidal, and also
provide tips for assisting others who may be
in danger of taking their own lives.
CrisisLink's Hotline wallet card distribution
to area schools is made possible in the
following school systems by:
- City of Alexandria: Women's
Giving Circle
of Alexandria, Rotary Club of Alexandria, and
the Alexandria Fund for Human Services
- Arlington County: Kiwanis
Club of
Arlington and the Arlington County
Government
- Fairfax County: Harry & Zoe
Poole
Foundation and the Fairfax County Government
- Loudoun County: HCA
Virginia and Dominion
Hospital
CrisisLink hopes to distribute Hotline wallet
cards to all students in the District of
Columbia and to those in the 10 additional
Northern
Virginia jurisdictions we serve, and we're seeking
additional support to help make this possible. Please
contact Marshall Ellis by e-mail or by calling 703-516-6768 to
learn how you can help make this possible.
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Thank you for your support!
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