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Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need prior experience?
- What will I learn in training?
- Who are your volunteers?
- How often will I have to volunteer?
- What shift times are available?
- What type of calls do you get on the hotlines?
- Are there paid positions on the hotline?
- What does the training cost?
- Do you ever offer daytime training during the week or entirely on weekends?
- Where can I get more information?
No, we are more concerned about attitude and willingness to learn. We look for individuals who are empathic, insightful, non-judgmental and committed with a willingness to receive and give feedback. Please take a look at the job description.
What will I learn in training?
We focus on active listening skills based on the philosophy of the psychologist Carl Rogers. Our model is designed to teach skills that can handle any type of call. Of course, we do focus on many specific procedures, especially those that relate to suicide calls.
Our volunteers range in age from 21 to 80+ and live in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region. They are a diverse group with a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and occupations. What they have in common is a desire to help others. Please visit our Volunteer Profile page for more information.
How often will I have to volunteer?
Volunteers commit to working 150 hours after training and fulfill this obligation in one of two formats:
- Six months working two 3-hour shifts per week.
- One year working one 3-hour shift per week.
Many volunteers stay with CrisisLink far beyond the initial commitment and we hope you will too.
For more information, please see our Commitment page.
What shift times are available?
Volunteers cover CrisisLink’s hotlines from 7 am – midnight every day by working 3-hour shifts that overlap and begin hourly. Paid crisis line workers cover the overnight shifts.
Shifts that begin 6 pm – 9 pm Monday through Thursday are the most popular and may not be available initially. We adjust schedules as shifts become available based on seniority and call volumes at different times of the day.
Our goal is to make the best fit for both the hotline's coverage needs and the individual volunteer’s scheduling needs.
What type of calls do you get on the hotlines?
“We get every type of call you can imagine and some you can’t,” says Carol Loftur-Thun, CrisisLink’s Executive Director.
Last year, CrisisLink answered almost 30,000 calls.
- 60% — Mental Health Crisis
- 35% — Information and Referral
- 13% — Family Difficulties
- 10% — Depression
- 11% — Suicide
- 4% — Physical Health Related
- 2% — Crime and Violence Trauma
- 2% — Employment and Financial Crisis
(Because some calls involve more than one problem, the percentages total over 100%.)
Are there paid positions on the hotline?
Yes. Paid crisis line workers cover the hotlines from midnight until 8 am daily and 24 hours on specific holidays. Check the jobs section of our website for available positions.
There is no charge for the training; volunteers are expected to fulfill the 150-hour commitment to cover the organizational costs associated with training. There is a $50 materials fee to cover the cost of the training materials. If this presents an unreasonable hardship, please speak with our Hotline and Volunteer Manager at (703) 527-6016.
Do you ever offer daytime training during the week or entirely on weekends?
There are no trainings scheduled during the day at the present time other than the weekend sessions included in the current schedule. In the future, we may offer trainings scheduled entirely on weekends.
If you’re interested in daytime or weekend training, please convey your interest to our Hotline and Volunteer Manager. We want to meet the scheduling needs of our potential volunteers and continually assess our training schedule.
Where can if get more information?
Various pages on this web site may answer your questions:
- Application Process
- Overview of CrisisLink hotline Training
- Hotline Volunteer Qualifications
- Training Schedule
- Hotline Volunteer Responsibilities
- Hotline Volunteer Commitment
- Other Volunteer Opportunities
Please feel free to contact us electronically or call our Hotline and Volunteer Manager at (703) 527-6016 if you have additional questions.
We hope to meet you soon!