How can I become a Crisis Hotline Counselor working from my home?

I am interested in suicide prevention and intervention, runaway
children, or support for families of missing children.  I am not
particularly interested in working for a rape or physical abuse crisis
hotline.  I have no background or degree in Social Services. I also
live in rural soutcentral Wisconsin.

My searches have turned up nothing satisfactory so far. By searching
the internet, I have found some places where I can possibly volunteer,
but I would have to travel over an hour to get there.  I would really
like to do hotline counseling for pay, rather than just volunteer.

I would also like to know what I would have to do (such as training
etc.) that it would take to follow this little dream of mine.

Thank you very much in advance for your search. 

-Dana

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 07 Aug 2003 20:21 PDT

Hello swanilda-ga,

It sounds like you have a generous and supportive heart that wants to
reach out to those in need. I’ve started researching your question and
I’ve identified some possible job targets but I need further
information from you to be able to complete the project.

You listed supporting suicide prevention, runaway children and
families of missing children as your job target areas. You also said
you are not interested in rape or physical abuse support services. Are
you open to working in other areas of human services (behavioral
health, family services, worklife issues, etc.) or are your stated
parameters your exclusive interests?

Some of the possible target positions I’ve identified have educational
requirements. Are you willing and able to get additional education to
fulfill your “little dream”?

You are right in your conclusion that most of the hotline work in the
areas you identified is done by volunteers. It would be helpful if you
could give more information about your financial requirements and your
availability for work.

I look forward to completing the research on your question. Thanks.

czh

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Request for Question Clarification by aresearcher-ga on 07 Aug 2003 20:42 PDT

Dear Dana,

Where exactly are you located?

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Clarification of Question by swanilda-ga on 08 Aug 2003 07:45 PDT

Hi, thanks for your quick attention to my question!

I am located in Baraboo, Wisconsin.  This is a rural area about an
hour or so north-northwest of Madison.  It can be a wretched and
dangerous commute at times, but I make it if absolutely necessary to
get what I need.

I am open to other areas of crises, such as worklife issues, behavior
health, and family services.

Now that I have given it some more thought, I have decided that I am
not afraid to do rape or physical abuse support; it's just that I feel
I would be completely clueless as to what to say.  But I suppose
that's what the training would be for.  In my limited, somewhat remote
area, I suppose beggars can't be choosers, right?  I am willing to
explore any type of support.


My income requirements are not very high.  I am currently working for
$8.90 an hour for a non-profit, and have worked recently for less.  I
have physical health issues, but I can find a way to get my own health
insurance if absolutely necessary.  This would be extremely hard with
my pre-existing conditions, but I would have to find a way. As far as
401 K goes, I don't really care very much; I take care of myself that
way.

I would be willing to get additional education to achieve my goal. 
(Geez, I wish I didn't have to; I thought college was behind me for
good!  Oh, well.  That's not possible these days.)  I hope that any
training or education I would have to do would be nearby, online,
and/or only certain days/nights of the week, as I have a "9-5" job.

Thanks for you patience!  

-Swanilda

Hello swanilda-ga,

Thank you for the additional information about your situation. I’m
posting what I found as a comment rather than an answer because I
haven’t found any employment prospects that would meet your criteria.

My research shows that there are a variety of jobs for crisis hotline
counselors but they tend to be extensions of jobs that are done at the
employer’s place of business. Most of them need advanced degrees in
social work or counseling and some require licensing as well. The most
likely employers are social service agencies (government or
non-profit), medical care intitutions and Employee Assistance Program
providers.

I’ve collected some vocational information, job postings and industry
information to help you review the kinds of paid positions that are
available for hotline crisis counselors.

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to find something that will meet your
immediate needs. I wish you well in your further explorations.

czh

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SAMPLE CRISIS COUNSELING JOB POSTINGS
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http://extension.iastate.edu/jobs/hotline.html
Extension Program Specialist II - Hotline Counselor - Central, Iowa
(#033223)
Responsibilities:
Information and referral counselor for telephone hotlines. Will
respond to callers on several different hotlines with appropriate
counseling, information and referral, and casework skills. Will also
respond to "Live Person" requests and FAQ's from the website. May
present information about hotline statistics to groups and network
with other resources that provide counseling services. Schedule may
require some night work.

http://www.sfsu.edu/~urbins/internship.htm#sfwarjune23
Employer: SF Women Against Rape 
Job Titles: Hotline Counselor and Medical Advocate
Position Statements:
The Hotline Counselor will answer calls from home on our 24 hour
crisis line and support survivors of sexual assault, their families,
friends and significant others.

http://www.womensway.org/job.html#wit1
Hotline Counselor: Women in Transition
Excellent opportunity for energetic, creative, self-starter interested
in working for a progressive, feminist agency. Women In Transition
provides counseling and advocacy services for women and their families
who are endangered by intimate partner abuse and/or by substance
abuse.
This is a full-time, 35 hours per week position, reporting to the
Director of Community Education & Training. The Hotline Counselor has
primarily responsibility for providing hotline counseling and advocacy
for individuals who call the hotline for assistance, and for
scheduling volunteers to provide after-hours coverage of the hotline.

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COUNSELING AND HUMAN SERVICES CAREERS
-------------------------------------

http://www.bls.gov/oco/print/ocos059.htm
Social and Human Service Assistants

http://www.careers.umbc.edu/majors/socialwork.htm
What can I do with a major in Social Work?

http://www.wheelock.edu/ccd/ccdJOBSINEMPLOYEEASSISTANCEPROGRAMS.pdf
Jobs in Employee Assistance Programs

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EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
----------------------------

http://www.smartpros.com/x13742.xml
Employee Assistance Plans and How They Work
EAP Process is Simple
Employees call the EAP hotline - available 24/7 - and a counselor
assesses his or her situation. If the situation can be handled within
the scope of the EAP, the caller is referred to an EAP provider for a
certain number of counseling sessions. The actual number of sessions
depends on the needs of the patient and the particular situation. Be
forewarned: EAPs are not designed for long-term therapy; services are
generally limited to a maximum of five or eight sessions for each
problem.

http://www.bizstrat.com/fa1202.html
Mental Health in the Workplace: EAP Programs Make Sense
That’s why many companies now offer Employee Assistance Programs
(EAP). Most workers have heard about EAPs, but think it’s only a
service for those individuals who have drug or alcohol issues. That’s
not completely true.
Free and confidential, EAPs often serve as a referral service to
address such problems as legal or financial issues, stress,
depression, anxiety, marital or family issues, mental health, or
substance abuse issues. Most EAP programs offer a 24-hour confidential
hotline. EAP is often used as a management tool by supervisors to
provide guidance with an employee’s performance problem.

http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/benefits/eap/aboutEmployeeAsst.html
Employee Assistance Program: About Us
What kinds of problems can EAP help with?
We can help with any personal or work-related problem that is
affecting your sense of well-being, your daily life or job
performance. Here are some of the issues that we deal with everyday:
(See list of problems and issues.)

http://www.ifebp.org/knowledge/compbensrvy.asp 
Compensation vs. Benefits: Who Gets Paid More? A New Survey Analysis
Reveals the Answer and Possible Causes
Scroll down to Table VI Differences in Long-Term Incentive Eligibility
 Pay has remained relatively steady for three jobs related to employee
assistance programs (EAPs). In 2001, median total cash compensation
for an EAP manager is $71,200, up from $68,000 two years ago. For an
EAP coordinator, median total cash compensation is $56,000, up from
$55,700 in 1999, and an EAP counselor today receives $45,200, compared
to $45,000 in 1999.

http://der.state.wi.us/home/EAPcrisis.htm
Wisconsin Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Crisis Hotline and Emergency Numbers
If you are unable to contact an EAP representative and you need
immediate assistance for an emergency, you may use the crisis hotline
number listed below for your county. Many of these agencies are
staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In some cases, you may be
directed to contact another on-call number.
***** You could use the list of counseling numbers for further
research for exploring job opportunities.

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SEARCH STRATEGY
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hotline Counselor Jobs
crisis counselor jobs
eap crisis counselor jobs