CONTACT - IF you are contemplating suicide or need someone just to talk to, refer to one of the numbers below.
Overview
The CONTACT Lancaster Helpline provides a "caring presence" to the residents of Lancaster County through the operation of an extensive call center. Experienced, well-trained volunteers respond to callers non-judgmentally and non-persuasively. All calls are confidential, anonymous and free of charge. If you are within Lancaster County and none of the above phone numbers is local for you, please call collect.
No one chooses the time or place to experience a problem. In the midst of a difficult or overwhelming situation, a person may feel desperate and abandoned. CONTACT Lancaster Helpline serves as an easily accessible, sometimes life-saving resource. CONTACT Lancaster Helpline is a safe place to vent frustrations and hurts, to explore options or to ask for a referral. Anyone can call CONTACT Lancaster Helpline with any problem, at anytime.
Teen Line (717.394.2000) - Provides a safe place for teens to vent their feelings to a non-judgmental listener. Volunteers are willing to listen to the issues which concern teens, such as peer pressure, drug and alcohol use and abuse, sexuality, academic performance, and personal relationships. TEEN LINE is a place to call when teens are lonely or afraid or when they do not know where else to turn. TEEN LINE also provides a referral service to other agencies offering services to teens.
Kids Line (717.394.2000) - Kids Line is a service for elementary school-aged children that offers support for children at home alone or in need of someone to listen. Children may want to talk about their problems, share stories, or tell about the events of their day. Kids Line provides a caring adult listener and a safe place to talk. Parents often add the Kids Line phone number to the list of emergency numbers they leave by the phone for children to call in addition to 911.
Reassurance (717.509.7711) - Reassurance CONTACT offers regularly scheduled calls to elderly, handicapped or homebound people who have limited contact with the outside world. A CONTACT Lancaster Helpline volunteer takes a few minutes to check on the client's well-being and give assurance that someone cares. In some cases, a CONTACT Lancaster Helpline volunteer may be the only person a Reassurance CONTACT client talks to for days at a time. Reassurance can mean a lot. Call 509.7711 to add someone you know to the reassurance call list.
Suicide Prevention Numbers -
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1.800.273.TALK (8255) or 1.800.SUICIDE (784.2433)
Information and Referral - CONTACT Information and Referral Service directs callers to appropriate agencies by using a frequently updated computer file of community resources.
Training For CONTACT - In order for CONTACT Lancaster to operate as a 24-hour service, the organization is always looking for volunteers. Volunteers working for CONTACT Lancaster Helpline have found that not only does the training prepare them for phone work, it changes how they handle relationships in their daily lives. Dealing with family, friends, co-workers and fellow students is enhanced by what they learn in CONTACT. In addition, the satisfaction of knowing they are helping others in the community is priceless.
CONTACT Lancaster's 50-hour training program is recognized in the human service community as top-notch and challenging. It is top-notch because it blends competent professionals and experienced CONTACT volunteers as facilitators. It is challenging because it demands over 50 hours of trainees' time and a good deal of their energy.
CONTACT feels the training is worth the extra effort. One payoff is staying on the "cutting edge" of interpersonal growth. Trainees learn to view themselves and the process of living and relating to others in new ways. In addition to applying these techniques in the Telephone Help Center, each person will be able to revitalize his or her interpersonal relationships in professional, personal and family situations.
Included in the training are lectures, large and small group discussions, role playing, evaluations and "hands-on" apprenticeship sessions in the Telephone Help Center.
Training Requirements:
- Qualifications: You must be 18 years of age, emotionally mature, and able to provide suitable references.
- Attendance: Attendance at all sessions is mandatory, and required for completion of the course. In the event of an emergency, a make-up session will be provided.
- Apprenticeships: In addition to the training sessions, trainees are required to complete 12 hours of apprenticeship under the direction of experienced CONTACT Lancaster Helpline volunteers.
- Cost: The training is $50 for adults making a commitment to be a CONTACT volunteer. For those interested in the training for personal or professional growth, the fee is $125. A group rate for an organization is $25 for 3 or more participants from the same organization who volunteer for one year after training. Fee covers all course materials. Scholarships based on need are available upon request.
- Volunteer Service Requirements: Following acceptance, volunteers are required to serve at least 8 hours on the phones per month for one year. Should a trainee leave the program before the year is up, he/she will be billed for $75 (the difference between training to become a volunteer and training for professional/personal growth).
Forms:
Contact:
CONTACT Lancaster Helpline
Business Office
601 S. Queen St.
P.O. Box 2454
Lancaster, PA 17608-2454
P: (717) 509-7711
F: (717) 299-9341
E: contacthelpline@caplanc.org
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