Hotlines-pioneers In Crisis Help

By Author: Heather Protz
Total Articles: 46
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When facing a crisis situation, a computer cannot ever help you; you need a person, a real human being with real thoughts and the ability to offer real sympathy. Even if you did have the option to talk to a person, the wait alone would make you pull your hair out in frustration. Hotline numbers are unlike most toll free numbers, where a mediator or an operating assistance heeds your query and switches the call to the required destination. These assistances are usually IVRs (Interactive voice response) that work through the push of many, many buttons. This is where you lose your time and patience.
A hotline is a telecommunication system that enables making direct-calls and offers point to point connection between the caller and the recipient. When you call a hotline number the call is immediately connected to the organization, a person will help you with your needs. You don’t need to go through hearing monotonous recordings or annoying instructions or promotions and you definitely needn’t listen to a lame man’s rendition of all the options available and would you please chose the right option?
Hotlines were ...
... based on the original idea of help groups called as The Samaritans located in a few cities in the U.S during the 1960’s. The first hotline to be set up was ‘Call Bruce’- a suicide emergency line that helped and offered telephone counseling to people harboring suicidal and depressive thoughts. From then, the usage of hotlines has become popular and emergency lines such as the N11 code were devised from this idea. The N in N11 is substituted by any number between 2 and 9 that offer assistance during times of emergency or non emergency. 5-1-1 for example is regarding traffic updates and 9-1-1 is for emergency services and assistance.
Generally the N11 are considered as emergency lines and they come under the entire North American region. These numbers can be used in Canada too. There are some hotlines that are available for use exclusively in the U.S. Here are some of the important hotlines:
Suicide prevention hotline:
This is not just for odd teenagers to call when they’re on the verge of committing suicide. Suicide prevention lines are for people, who find themselves or others mildly depressive to absolutely hysterical. When you feel cold and lost in loneliness, this hotline has got counselors. They work 24/7, round the clock and the lines are free of charge. And the number is: 1-800-273-TALK (1800-273-8255). This hotline also provides the TYY/TDD options for the hearing deficient, dial 1-800-799-4TTY (4889).
Prevent Youth Violence hotline:
School brawls, alley fights when you see it, report it. Doesn’t matter if it’s your friend or brother, speak up, you’re identity will be protected. This has proven as a great way to prevent urban/gang violence, shootings and drugs related tussles. The Prevent Youth Violence hotline was started as an initiative of The Center to Prevent Youth Violence. The centre triggered two other programs that concerned the issues with parents dealing with the violence that prevails in the youth. This hotline is another 24/7 and the number is: 1-866-SPEAK-UP
There are plenty of other hotlines too, like the US veteran’s hotline, a special hotline for runaway children etc. Other than crisis hotlines there are commercial hotlines:
Humor hotlines: This was featured on MTV as a hilarious program that rejects your pursuers, none too subtly. These hotlines have spread virally, having separate lines with area codes for almost every locality in the U.S. and outside.
Psych hotlines: Tarot card readings and astrology predictions in a jiffy! Most of these lines charge per second but their predictions are trustable. Sort of.
Apart from these there are hotlines that allow you to make hotel reservations, book train tickets, telephone directory enquiries and even for bank related queries. Hotlines are certainly a huge hit, offering easy and flexible communication. They mostly aren’t toll free, but with great deals and cheap calls rates from telephone providers like Cox, there’s only room for growth.

Heather is a techno geek, who is interested in keeping herself updated with the latest technology. She is also a major sports and adventure enthusiast. As a freelancer she likes to write about programming, recent improvements in the computer field and to source out some great deals on home services like the one offered by cox