Guide to Getting Help from a Crisis Hotline
Calling a crisis line for the first time can be challenging. We’ve created this guide to help ease the process.
- Know that people who work on the crisis hotlines are trained to help in crisis situations. Don’t worry about your problems being too big or small for them to handle.
- Depending on the hotline you choose to call, you may be asked to provide your phone number so that the dispatcher can send it to a crisis worker, who will call you back almost immediately. Some hotlines may connect you directly to a crisis worker while you are placed on hold.
- The crisis hotlines operate on anonymity. You are not required to provide your name to receive services.
- Once you have the crisis worker on the phone, talk to them about the problem you’re experiencing. If you don’t know where to start, it’s okay to tell the crisis worker that. They’ll guide you through the process. The crisis worker will listen to you, provide support and offer recommendations on how to manage the crisis at hand.
- Near the end of your call, the crisis worker may offer you options for community mental health resources. You may also ask the crisis worker if this isn’t offered. There are community services available near Loyola's campuses. Schedule an appointment with a Wellness Center counselor to be connected to Wellness Center or community resources. Call 773-508-8883 to schedule a phone consultation.