Suicide Hotline Manager

Suicide Hotline Manager

Suicide Hotline Manager

CantSay, US

Female, 0

I supervise and train telephone operators for a suicide hotline. In addition to answering phones myself, I am also available when questions about protocol come up or if a phone operator is having trouble dealing with the emotions being expressed by a caller. Like many non-profits, we are now in danger of being shut down because of budget cuts.

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Last Answer on June 20, 2013

Best Rated

Can a call to a suicide line leave a record of any kind?

Asked by Thinker over 11 years ago

Some record will likely exist for training or research purposes. Depending on whether the hotline is anonymous or not, that record might be de-identified.

This is really interesting, thanks for answering questions! Do callers ever threaten to kill OTHER people, and if they do that, do you have a duty to trace the call and report to police?

Asked by Bridget over 11 years ago

I can't recall that happening off the top of my head. I think a non-anonymous hotline would be required to report a specific, credible threat to the police. An anonymous hotline wouldn't be able to do so, but if the caller specified his (or hers!) or the victim's full name or address, then yeah, there probably would be a legal and moral obligation to do so.

Are hotline operators allowed to offer religious advice during a call? For example, a Christian operator may feel that extending the gospel to a caller might help. Are they allowed to do that?

Asked by Josh over 11 years ago

No, that would definitely not be allowed and would probably be offensive to non-Christian callers.

How much training does one have to go through to be a suicide hotline operator and how long does it take? What do you learn in your training sessions? Would love to know as many details as possible about getting into this as a volunteer.

Asked by jwrites over 11 years ago

Each hotline has its own specific training, so you should directly contact a hotline near you. My experience would likely be dramatically different from that of another trainee.

Hi. This is going to sound like a dumb question but generally how much does one who works for the suicide hotline make? I would like to work for one but I do need a paying job to support myself.

Asked by Dumbquestionasker over 11 years ago

Knowing if you can live off what you want to do is definitely not a dumb question. 

It really will depend on the hotline and the position.  A lot of time the operators taking calls are volunteers.  From the basic administrative positions and up, salaries will likely start at minimum wage.  Remember these tend to be very poorly funded organizations that have to stretch every dollar to stay open. 

Do you have to be at least 18 to be a hotline operator - or older?

Asked by jwrites over 11 years ago

Yes, you do.

Hello my name is Omar Mercado, and I am writing a proposal for my English class. I was wondering about the average pay for hotline operators, if that can be told?

Asked by Omar Mercado over 11 years ago

In cases where the operators are not volunteers, I would imagine it's typically around minimum wage.