Suicide crisis line seeking help

Family Service Agency's Suicide Crisis Line will hold a training class Nov. 21 and 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 8912 Volunteer Lane.

The training is for anyone interested in becoming a volunteer for the suicide crisis hotline.

Volunteers are required to commit four hours a week, for a total of 200 hours a year.

"The work is pretty gratifying," said agency publicist Lisa DeVally

The hotline receives 8,000 to 10,000 calls per year, said DeVally.

"Suicide is high among adolescents and children," DeValley said.

The agency currently has 45 volunteers some of which are from CSUS.

"The training is great for social science or crisis intervention majors," said DeValley "We have a lot of Sac State students who volunteer, if they work it out with a professor they can even get units for their time."

According to Vicki, a hotline volunteer, the training has been invaluable. Vicki did not give her last name because the center has a policy against releasing volunteer's full names.

"The training has improved my listening and communication skills," said Vicki "I feel like I have really been able to help people."

There is one volunteer per shift, and the hotline is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year.Volunteers get anywhere from two to 13 calls per hour.

"The amount of phone calls we get varies depending on the time of day," said a hotline volunteer, who chose not to give her name. "We are busier at night than we are in the morning."

Volunteers help callers with many different emergencies.

"You never know what you are going to get. I've had a man call me and tell me he had a gun to his head and he was ready to use it," said Vicki.

When a volunteer receives a phone call such as Vicki's, the first thing they usually do is ask the caller to put down their weapon so they can talk.

If the caller needs immediate attention, they try to get emergency services to them by tracing the phone call.

If the caller does not have a plan, they talk with them and give them a number to call for further assistance according to a hotline volunteer.

The training costs $30. Anyone interested must complete an interview prior to the training.

Interviews will be held until Nov. 20. For more information, call 368-3118 and ask for program manager Jerry Carpenter.

Another training will be held January 9 for those who cannot make the upcoming session.