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Expanded Crisis Call Guidelines

(See also Section 6.4 of the KIN24x7 Provider Handbook)

Although they happen rarely, we occasionally receive "crisis calls" through KnowItNow24x7. These may be concerning suicide or some sort of abuse, criminal activity, or threat.

Examples:

  • "I am going to kill myself."
  • "My boyfriend punches me."
  • "My father was touching me."

Some of these calls may be pranks, but we should always assume that the call is real and take the situation seriously. The following guidelines are intended to help prepare librarians for the possibility of a crisis call and provide appropriate steps to take in the event of one:

  • DO always treat suicide, child abuse, or other crisis calls as serious until proven otherwise.
  • DO answer calmly and nonjudgmentally. Strike a balance between professional behavior and supportive behavior. If the patron is in trouble, we want to be friendly, supportive, and approachable, as with all of our patrons. However, remain professional and give resources rather than advice.
  • DO a reference interview. Ask open ended questions like “How would you like me to help you?”
  • DO NOT be afraid to show personal sympathy to the patron. Use variations of the statements below as a way to open a dialog in which you can make a referral:
    • I might have resources to help you.
    • It makes me sad to hear that.
    • Let's find someone who can help you there.
    • I'll do my best to get the information you need.
  • DO always refer a caller in crisis to a hotline appropriate to their crisis that is staffed by mental health professionals or trained crisis volunteers. It is inappropriate for you to provide counseling if you are untrained in those areas.
  • DO try to do your best to provide the relevant information and referral to the patron. The best way to handle these kinds of calls is at the point-of-contact within the chat with the patron.
  • DO always report serious crisis calls to KnowItNow24x7 Support at support@knowitnow.org. Include as much information about the session as possible: CustomerID, time, date, patron's display name on the chat, librarian name. One may also copy and paste the transcript itself from the SparkRef History.

Hotlines & Referrals

Suicide Prevention

  • I'm Alive https://www.imalive.org: IMAlive is a live online crisis network that uses instant messaging to respond to people in crisis. People need a safe place to go 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) Dedicated to suicide prevention, intervention and healing.
  • 1-800-273-TALK (8255) A 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis.

Rape

Child Abuse/Neglect

  • National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-25-ABUSE The Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with professional crisis counselors who, through interpreters, can provide assistance in 140 languages. The Hotline offers crisis intervention, information, literature, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources.

Missing Children

  • National Hotline for Missing and Exploited Children: 1-800-843-5678 - Operates a hotline for reporting missing children and sightings of missing children. Offers assistance to law enforcement agents. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
  • National Runaway Switchboard: 1-800-621-4000 - Provides crisis intervention and travel assistance to runaways. Provides information and local referrals to adolescents and families. Gives referrals to shelters nationwide. Also relays messages to, or sets up conference calls with, parents at the request of the child. Operates 24 hours, seven days a week.

Domestic & Family Violence

  • National Domestic Violence/Child Abuse/Sexual Abuse: 1-800-799-SAFE 1-800-942-6908 Spanish Speaking 24-hour-a-day hotline, Provides crisis intervention and referrals to local services and shelters for victims of partner or spousal abuse. English and Spanish speaking advocates are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Youth In Crisis

  • National Youth Crisis Hotline: 800-442-HOPE (4673) Provides counseling and referrals to local drug treatment centers, shelters, and counseling services. Responds to youth dealing with pregnancy, molestation, suicide, and child abuse. Operates 24 hours, seven days a week.
  • Boys Town Suicide and Crisis Line: 800-448-3000 Provides short-term crisis intervention and counseling and referrals to local community resources. Counsels on parent-child conflicts, marital and family issues, suicide, pregnancy, runaway youth, physical and sexual abuse, and other issues. Operates 24 hours, seven days a week.

Protecting Children from Sexual Offenders

Criminal Activity

  • Advise the patron to call the police immediately if he or she is witnessing a crime being committed, is the victim of a crime, or has knowledge of criminal activity. For example:
    • It looks like my neighbor’s house is being robbed.
    • Someone just told me there’s a bomb in the building.
    • My friend told me he’s planning on assaulting someone in school.
  • Note: Explain to patrons that picking up their telephone and dialing 911 will connect them to their local county's 911 Call Center. If they have knowledge of criminal activity or an emergency in any other jurisdiction, their call can be transferred to the appropriate place, even across state lines. For knowledge of criminal activity or emergencies abroad or in other countries, still start with your local 911 call center.
  • USACops http://www.usacops.com - This site provides a map of the U.S. on the main page where one can quickly click on the state in which assistance is needed. A choice of numbers for county Sheriff Departments, Town/City Police Departments, and Fire & Rescue Services is available.

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