[Jackie] 988 is a crisis and suicide line
where you can contact us
if you just want to talk to someone. You can call, chat or text.
[Mina] We go through extensive training
at the beginning of the process
of becoming a 988 specialist,
but we also go through continuous training
throughout our career.
First week or so is really vigorous online trainings,
that include education around trauma informed care, what is considered
a crisis, how to respond to suicide, how to ask safety questions.
These include presentation trainings as well as role plays and
other interactive engagements where we're able to put ourselves
in the shoes of what it's going to be like to be a call specialist,
or what it would be like to be a caller in these moments.
We then do some listening sessions where we listen in to the calls
that are happening during shift.
From there, we'll move to something called a nesting session.
A nesting session is like a half shift where we have very heavy supervision
from our clinical team and we start taking calls.
[Kimberly] So there's a lot of
learning and education and then just practice
so that that way when we finally are
there and we are talking to you, you're
talking with someone who's, you know, had some experience, had some exposure.
There's a lot of training around, specifically talking with teens and youth
who reach out, you know,
what are some of the problems that they face
that are going to be different to, like, the adults that are reaching out?
And how do you approach those better?
We want you to feel supported.
And if you're not feeling supported, then tell us so that we can make adjustments
to how we're talking to you, or what we're talking about, or what we're offering you.
[Mina] I'm not a therapist. I'm not here for long term care,
but we're going to get you through that moment,
and we're going to get through it together.
And if my capacity is
not within your needs, then we're going to look to resources too,
and see what else you may need to help get through this moment
and long term support, if that's applicable.
Frequently callers will be like, “I’m so sorry for calling.”
Don't be sorry. This is what I'm here for.
If you don't exactly know what to say, or even know exactly what you're feeling,
we're trained to have an approach that is able to, kind of, invite you
and open up the space that, and ask questions,
you know, that kind of help you think through these moments
I'm grateful to be able to be there when you felt like you had nobody else
that would be there with you.
I'm grateful to be able to have the training to actually provide support
and give resources, and to help you get through that moment.
Nobody deserves to get through anything by themselves, you know?
And it's amazing that 988 is here, 24/7, whenever you need.