CrisisLink

Not to be confused with Crisis Link.
CrisisLink
Motto "When crisis calls, we answer."
Purpose Suicide prevention
Headquarters Arlington, Virginia
Location
  • Arlington, VA[1]
Services 24-hour crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline
Executive director
 Wendy Gradison, PRS Inc CEO
Website prsinc.org/crisislink/services/crisislink-hotlines/

CrisisLink is a non-profit 24-hour mental health and suicide-prevention hot line based in Arlington, Virginia.[2] Founded in 1969, CrisisLink fields more than 20,000 calls annually. The majority of calls to CrisisLink are fielded by trained volunteers. CrisisLink is part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.[3]

CrisisLink was founded in 1969 out of a church basement. It initially fielded calls on teen drug and relationship problems. After the September 11 attacks, CrisisLink set up a center at Virginia Hospital Center-Arlington and fielded 6,000 calls about potential victims in 48 hours. In 2003, the hotline won the American Association of Suicidology’s National Crisis Center Excellence Award[4]

In June 2014, CrisisLink added a crisis texting program in Fairfax County, Virginia. Two texting lines were established, one for the greater community and another specifically for Fairfax County Public Schools. As of September 2014, both lines had generated well over 300 texting conversations.

In August 2014, CrisisLink announced its merger with Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, another Arlington-area mental health nonprofit.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Zak, Dan (27 June 2011). "Night Lives: Haley Lillibridge works the CrisisLink suicide hotline". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Crisis hot line lends an ear to desperate". Washington Times. 10 March 2006. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Dwyer, Devin (7 August 2009). "National Suicide Hotline Inundated by Economically Distressed". ABC News. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  4. ↑ Ryan, Ellen (26 December 2006). "Merry Crisis and Happy Blue Year". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  5. ↑ Orton, Kathy (1 August 2014). "PRS and CrisisLink announce merger, expanding mental health services". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 August 2014.

External links

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