Counselors and staffers who work for the nation's 988 suicide and crisis hotline are asking for more training in the face of increasing calls, according to a Jan. 24 report from KFF Health News.
The report references a recent survey of 47 crisis counselors across the country that was published by CrisisCrowd and found significant variations in training for these staffers, ranging from four days to two weeks.
Counselors also said in the survey that their training did not cover all the types and levels of intensity of calls they would field. Some said they received training only on how to deal with calls involving suicidal thoughts and not other mental health issues, including anxiety attacks, mood disorders, substance intoxication and withdrawal.
The call centers' policies also varied, including whether to inform callers planning or attempting suicide that first responders have been dispatched to assist them, the report said.