Oregon Partnership’s Life Line Gets On-Site Boost

Oregon Partnership received a major show of support during a visit to the OP Crisis Lines Center this month from Brigadier General Mike Caldwell of the Oregon Military Department, Oregon National Guard Reintegration Team Director, Col (Ret.) Scott McCrae, and  U.S. Senator Ron Wyden.

Sen. Wyden assured OP board and staff members in attendance that he would be pushing for funding in a Senate appropriations bill that would allow OP to provide assistance for more veterans and returning soldiers.  Wyden said he considers OP’s LifeLine work with military men and women a “model project” when the need is severe and Oregonians are under such economic stress.

Judy Cushing, OP Board member Lon Getlin, Development Director Peter Jurney, Crisis Lines Director Leslie Storm, and Crisis Lines Assistant Director Deborah Zwetchkenbaum offered solid information and compelling examples of calls for help to OP’s suicide prevention line from an increasing number of Oregonians returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The presentations were received favorably with Caldwell, McCrae and Wyden all expressing appreciation for OP’s role in supporting Oregon’s soldiers and their families.  Wyden was especially interested in OP’s ability to make follow-up calls to insure that callers receive sufficient assistance in the days and weeks following their first contact with Life Line.
 
As Gen. Caldwell said, “Even if peace broke out around the world today, we would still have to take care of the 3,000 Oregonians who would be returning tomorrow.”
 
Following the briefing, Wyden, Caldwell and McCrae were given a tour of the crisis lines as part of their first-ever experience at the OP offices.  And what is now a common occurrence, crisis line calls were coming in.

Oregon Partnership Answering State’s Crisis Calls at Record Rate

Calls to our statewide crisis lines from distraught Oregonians just keep on coming – and in record numbers as a result of the economic downturn that has hit our state especially hard.

The other night, one of our volunteers at Oregon Partnership received a phone call from a police officer downstate, thanking us for alerting them about a man who was about to kill himself.  With our help, the man was located and taken to the hospital.

Another caller to our crisis lines who had recently lost his job, his health insurance, his home – and estranged from his family – called in a suicidal state.  One of our 80 volunteers who take calls on the crisis lines convinced him to take no action while we researched financial aid and assistance for him.  Several days later, he too called to thank us.

Such examples of success stories happen on practically a daily basis here at Oregon Partnership, a statewide non-profit organization.  For the past 16 years, we have run the state’s 24-7 crisis lines with a handful of staff members trained in crisis counseling and suicide intervention.  These professionals are joined by an incredibly dedicated group of volunteers who have undergone 50 hours of training.

We operate Oregon’s only nationally-certified suicide prevention line, the statewide alcohol and drug HelpLine, a YouthLine, and a Spanish language crisis line, Linea de Ayuda.

Since January of 2008, call volume on the statewide crisis and suicide prevention lines has risen by 71%.  Just this past Tuesday, we logged 95 calls, a new daily record. 

In May alone, we responded to 1,609 suicide calls.  That’s also a record that we never thought we’d see.

There is no question that the economic crisis and the state’s high unemployment rate are largely to blame.  Last fall when the economy started stumbling, we witnessed a dramatic influx of calls.

But we are also receiving substantially more calls from veterans and returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these men and women would rather seek help from folks who are not part of the military or Veterans Administration, fearing that it would become a part of their military record. So they call us.

While those seeking help find out numbers in a variety of ways, our budget has never included extensive advertising.  We have an ad in the Yellow Pages and of course, you can find our number online.

But as the need for the crisis lines has grown, our funding has decreased.  We are receiving fewer dollars from the state, private donors and foundations.

We are asking for $650,000 from the state for the next biennium.  The funding would go toward professional staff, extensive training of volunteers, phone banks, and equipment.  Compared to other 24-7 crisis lines around the country, this is just a portion of their operating budgets.

We run a highly efficient and economical operation.  And now more than ever, we are needed.  Unfortunately, more Oregonians than ever are in crisis and need somewhere to turn.

We know from experience that if our callers had no other option than the crisis lines, the results would be of tragic proportions – more deaths and ruined lives, more visits to emergency rooms, more crime, and more expense to Oregon tax payers.

HelpLine: 1-800-923-HELP
LifeLine: 1-800-SUICIDE and 1-800-273-TALK
YouthLine: 1-877-553-TEEN
Linea de Ayuda: 1-877-515-7848

Leslie Storm
Crisis Lines Director

Oregonian Editorial Supports Oregon Partnership

Oregonian ran this editorial in its Sunday edition…

 When there’s no one else to talk to, troubled people talk to the volunteers and staffers answering the phones at the Oregon Partnership’s crisis lines. And this year, as the economy has collapsed, they’re calling in greater numbers than ever.

People contemplating killing themselves. Kids dealing with the shame of being abused. Adults dealing with vulnerable parents, or with their children who are taking drugs. People who have no job, no health insurance and little money, but who are desperate for therapy, medication or just a little encouragement.

They are all around us. They are young, old, male, female, military veterans and working mothers. And from the numbers compiled by the Oregon Partnership, the nonprofit organization that operates the lines, they are dialing in at more than twice the rate they did last year. Layoffs, furloughs and salary cuts have put more households in crisis — to the point at which desperation drives a person to call an anonymous person at the other end of a crisis line.

Further, the crises have become more severe. In a typical month last year, the crisis line responders at Oregon Partnership might have had only a couple of “rescues” — cases in which they stayed on the line with callers after summoning emergency help. Last month, there were 19. One staffer had two in one day this week.

Yet even this last line of defense against despair is struggling to stay alive. The biggest piece of the nonprofit’s budget is money granted by the state, and it is very much in jeopardy this year.

The governor’s budget included $650,000 for the Oregon Partnership’s crisis line services for the next biennium, but that amount isn’t in the budgets under consideration in Salem. Without it, says Oregon Partnership president Judy Cushing, “I don’t know how we’ll continue. That’s not a threat: I just don’t know how we’ll continue.”

If there is a heart pulsing behind the political standoffs and the dreadful budget-cutting the Legislature has undertaken this session, there will be a little money allocated to the Oregon Partnership to keep its crisis lines operating for another two years. Without it, the partnership won’t be able to keep up with the rising demand for its services.

As it is, the nonprofit leans heavily on its corps of volunteers — about 70 people who donate four or more hours a week to answer the phones. The volunteers and just six staffers, two of them full time, keep the crisis lines running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In many parts of the state, it is the only crisis line that operates around the clock. To keep up with demand, the nonprofit would like to add another few phone lines and a staffer or two.

The volunteers, too, come from many walks of life. One is Lon Getlin, the CEO of a Portland-based consumer products company. He serves on the board, and he also answers when the crisis line rings. “We get the most incredible telephone calls you can possibly imagine,” he said. He took one from a young teenager who was so intimidated by the idea of returning to school after a summer in which her mother committed suicide that she, too, was thinking of killing herself.

“She was emotional and steady, which is a very scary combination,” Getlin remembered. But after talking to Getlin for a time, and then having follow-up phone calls from crisis line staffers, the girl decided to return to school. The last time volunteers talked to her, she was doing much better.

The story of that teenage girl could have been just one more tragedy in a state that’s seen some horrific ones lately — children thrown from a bridge, others shot by their father and an unborn infant cut from his mother’s womb. If only the killers in those cases had called the crisis line, as the young teenager had the courage to do, perhaps the innocent wouldn’t have died.

Such outcomes are unknowable, but one thing is predictable: Let the crisis line go dark, and there will surely be more tragedies.

***

The Oregon Partnership operates four crisis lines that have seen increased traffic without any marketing, except for ads in the Yellow Pages.

HelpLine, a general crisis line for adults: 1-800-923-HELP

LifeLine, a board-certified suicide crisis line: 1-800-SUICIDE and 1-800-273-TALK

YouthLine, a part-time crisis line staffed by teenagers: 1-877-553-TEEN

Linea de Ayuda, a part-time, Spanish-language crisis line: 1-877-515-7848

Calls are up sharply this year. During the first four months of 2008, the crisis lines logged 2,299 calls. During the first four months this year, they received 5,849, a 154 percent increase.

Oregon Partnership Crisis Lines Still Super Busy

Calls to the state’s 24-hour crisis and suicide prevention lines run by Oregon Partnership are coming in at a rate of about 50% higher than a year ago.  And the economy is a major reason.

“It’s been this way since September of last year,” says Leslie Storm, Director of OP’s Crisis Line Program. “It stands to reason that when the unemployment rate goes up and people are hurting financially, so does the tension level for more Oregonians.”

OP reports a slight increase of calls in March 2009 compared to February 2009.  Last month, 1,584 calls came into LifeLine (OP’s suicide prevention line) and 1,111 calls came into HelpLine (OP’s alcohol and drug crisis line).

In January 2009, the lines received 71% more calls than it did the previous January.

“I wish I could say that with spring, we’ll see fewer calls,” says Storm. “But people are always surprised to learn that normally, we see an upsurge in deaths by suicide in April.  Those suffering from depression, for example, are energized to take action.”

Psychologists point out that someone deeply depressed often lacks the energy to plan and follow through with a suicide attempt, but once a depressed person starts to come out of his or her depression a  bit, there’s enough energy to make a plan.

Storm adds that intervention is often sufficient for people to look for safe options and be available for those thinking of suicide.

OP’s Suicide Prevention Line (1-800-273-TALK) is the state’s only suicide crisis hotline certified by the American Association of Suicidology and is part of the National LifeLine Network.

Oregon Partnership’s HelpLine  (1-800-923-HELP) provides crisis intervention, including confidential alcohol and drug crisis counseling and treatment referral. 

Operated by experienced staff and approximately 75 volunteers who undergo 56 hours of crisis line skills training, the four lines – including The YouthLine and Linea de Ayuda – are the lifeblood for those in crisis and feel they have nowhere else to turn.

For this past fiscal year, more than 25-thousand people received immediate assistance from this efficient and cost effective operation.
About Oregon Partnership:
Oregon Partnership is a statewide nonprofit that has worked to promote healthy kids and communities for well over a decade by raising awareness about drug and alcohol issues, providing prevention education in classrooms, and 24-hour crisis lines for people needing help. To learn more, visit www.orpartnership.org.

Oregon Partnership’s Suicide Prevention Line Might Have Helped

Anna Griffin’s column in today’s Oregonian about a man who tried to kill himself  and then tried to get help was compelling…

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/anna_griffin

I’m curious if the gentleman ever called our suicide prevention line, the only nationally-certified suicide line in Oregon.

The difference between 2-1-1 and 1-800-273-TALK (our line)  is that 2-1-1 is not mental health-based.  While it’s true that treatment center availability is slim and as you pointed out, often none….at least our volunteers have 16 hours of specialized training in suicide prevention and crisis counseling, our callers can call us every day, and we can continue offering them counseling, advice, and compassion.

By the way, with this economy, our call volume is way up.

We had a recent caller who told us that being able to talk to us every day “is saving her life.”

Advice for dealing with stress during turbulent times

Is the financial crisis creating too much stress and anxiety in your life?  Oregon Partnership Crisis Lines Director, Leslie Storm, has some good advice:

1. Talk it out. Don’t keep it to yourself.  Normally, you might not talk about your financial situation.  But a whole lot of folks are in the same boat.  Talking with family and friends is a good thing, and no need to go into details.

2.  Get outside.   Take walks.  Get some exercise.  It does wonders in good times and bad.

3.  OK, you won’t be eating at restaurants or going out as much.  So take advantage of staying home and spending more time with the family!  More at home family time – and having dinners at home – is another good thing.

4. If you have kids, be upfront with them.  Explain to them what the economy is all about – that sometimes people have to spend less and go without luxuries…but in time, the economy always bounces back.

5.  Turn off the TV news and listen to music!

Oregon Suicide Prevention Lines Getting More Calls

 

Oregon Partnership’s suicide prevention line, LifeLine,  is reflecting the souring economy with a 55% increase in phone calls from people in crisis and contemplating suicide.

The number of calls received by staff and volunteers on the suicide prevention line reached 1,270 in the month of September. That’s 454 more calls from people seeking help than the month before.

And with nine days remaining in October, the number of calls this month has already reached 955 and on track to surpass September’s total.

In September, Oregon Partnership began taking LifeLine calls originating from Washington, Idaho, and Alaska to act as a backup for suicide prevention lines in those states.

“We’ve been asked to serve as a resource for other Northwest states where it is obvious that more people are feeling a sense of hopelessness as a result of losing their job or experiencing a personal financial crisis,” said Leslie Storm, Director of Oregon Partnership’s Crisis Lines Program.  “And when so many of these folks are already facing serious alcohol and drug programs, it’s a double whammy.”

Storm notes that during the last couple of months, more callers have been mentioning job and money issues.

“It’s also interesting to note that we’ve been getting more calls from men on all our crisis lines,” said Storm. “In September, we received 951 calls from men, compared to 594 in August. This is an unusual increase.”

OP’s Suicide Prevention Line (1-800-273-TALK) is the state’s only suicide crisis hotline certified by the American Association of Suicidology and is part of the National LifeLine Network.

Oregon Partnership’s HelpLine  (1-800-923-HELP) provides crisis intervention, including confidential alcohol and drug crisis counseling and treatment referral. 

Operated by experienced staff and approximately 75 volunteers who undergo 56 hours of crisis line skills training, the four lines – including The YouthLine and Linea de Ayuda – are the lifeblood for those in crisis and feel they have nowhere else to turn.

Oregon Partnership’s crisis lines have been offering intervention and treatment referral to an increasing number of callers. For this past fiscal year, more than 25-thousand people received immediate assistance from this efficient and cost effective operation.
About Oregon Partnership:
Oregon Partnership is a statewide nonprofit that has worked to promote healthy kids and communities for well over a decade by raising awareness about drug and alcohol issues, providing prevention education in classrooms, and 24-hour crisis lines for people needing help. To learn more, visit www.orpartnership.org.

Suicide Prevention Line Experiencing an Increase in Calls

The economic upheaval is obviously resulting in more calls to Oregon Partnership’s suicide prevention line.

Already in October, OP’s LifeLine has handled 955 calls with ten days left in the month. That compares to the 1,270 calls the line received in the entire month of September and 816 calls in August.

“We’ve definitely seen more people in crisis as a result of the financial meltdown,” said Leslie Storm, Oregon Partnership’s Crisis Lines Director. “When you lose your job or your savings or both, depression can set in quickly.”

And now comes word that the suicide rate is going up for baby boomers:

TUESDAY, Oct. 21 (HealthDay News) — The suicide rate in the United States is increasing for the first time in a decade, particularly among middle-aged white women, a new study finds.

“This is a group we haven’t had as much focus on in terms of suicide, because the death rates were higher in elderly white males, and there has been a lot of attention to teenagers and young adults,” said lead researcher Susan P. Baker, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “This 40-to-64 age group has been neglected.”

The suicide rate declined over the same period for blacks and remained stable for Asians and Native Americans, the study found.

Baker said it’s not clear what might be causing the rising suicide rates among middle-aged whites. “We need to study the individual people who have committed suicide and see what were their living circumstances. Were they depressed, was this impulsive? A lot more specific information is needed,” she said.

One possible explanation is that doctors may not be paying enough attention to the mental health of their middle-aged white patients to spot the risk of suicide, Baker said.

The report was published online Oct. 21 in theAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine.

For the study, Baker and her colleagues used the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. This site provides information on cause of deaths, broken down by age, race, sex and state. The statistics are culled from annual reports by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.

The researchers found that from 1999 to 2005, the overall suicide rate in the United States rose 0.7 percent. However, among middle-aged white women, the annual increase was 3.9 percent; among middle-aged white men it was 2.7 percent.

The most frequent method of suicide was using a firearm, although the rate of suicide by this method declined. Suicide by hanging and suffocation rose significantly, accounting for 22 percent of all suicides by 2005. Among men, hanging/suffocation rates increased 6.3 percent annually; among women, the yearly rise was 2.3 percent. Poisoning accounted for 18 percent of suicides, the study found.

Alan L. Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology, noted that “suicide rates vary, and until you have a clear and dramatic difference, it’s awfully hard to know what’s going on.”

Berman pointed out that the suicide rate among older people is decreasing. “We don’t know any more about that than we do about the increase among middle-aged people,” he said. “We are always concerned about understanding these kinds of trends, but they need to go on for many years in order to truly define them as something significant and different.”

The best explanation, so far, for the increased suicide rate among middle-age men and women is the “baby boomer explanation,” Berman said. “You have a very large group of people, and we would expect to see increases in this geriatric group over the next several years,” he said.

As for the difference between suicides among whites and blacks, Berman said whites have always had higher suicide rates.

The goal should be to identify and treat people who are suicidal, Berman said. “We need to understand better those who are suicidal, irrespective of age or gender or race. We need to understand and observe warning signs, so that we can find and refer and treat these individuals before they become statistics,” he said.

In 2004, suicide was the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 32,439 deaths. There are an estimated eight to 25 attempted suicides for every suicide death, according the National Institute of Mental Health.

Financial Crisis Creating More Calls to OP Crisis Lines

There is no question that the financial meltdown is creating added stress and anxiety for countless Americans, and Oregon Partnership is feeling it on its crisis lines.

“Often, people feel they’re in crisis when they lose their job or their house or are wallowing in financial chaos that’s out of their control,” said Leslie Storm, OP’s Crisis Lines Director.

In August OP received 2,204 calls on our HelpLine and Suicide Intervention Lines.

In September, we received 2,872 calls.

This is a huge increase to experience in one month. Another interesting fact worth mentioning is gender related…in August we had 594 male callers. In September we received 951 calls from men. This is also an unusual increase. Rarely do we see such a spike in calls from men.

Financial Troubles Hit Oregon Partnership Crisis Lines

 Oregon Partnership’s 24-hour crisis lines are reflecting the stress and strain of an economy that sees more people out of work, homeowners unable to pay their mortgages, and families worried about their savings.

“It stands to reason that when the unemployment rate goes up and prices do too, so does the tension level for more Oregonians,” said Leslie Storm, Director of Oregon Partnership’s Crisis Line Program. “And of course, that’s been compounded by what’s going on in the housing market and on Wall Street.”

Storm notes that during the last couple of months, callers have been mentioning job and money issues.

“The great majority of our calls are from those in crisis as a result of drugs and alcohol,” explained Storm. “But it seems that all the implications of the economy are having an impact too.”

Oregon Partnership’s HelpLine  (1-800-923-HELP) provides crisis intervention, including confidential alcohol and drug crisis counseling and treatment referral. 

OP’s Suicide Prevention Line (1-800-273-TALK) is the state’s only suicide crisis hotline certified by the American Association of Suicidology and is part of the National LifeLine Network.

Operated by experienced staff and approximately 75 volunteers who undergo 56 hours of crisis line skills training, the four lines – including The YouthLine and Linea de Ayuda -  are the lifeblood for those in crisis and feel they have nowhere else to turn.

Oregon Partnership’s crisis lines have been offering intervention and treatment referral to an increasing number of callers. For this past fiscal year, more than 25-thousand people received immediate assistance from this efficient and cost effective operation.
About Oregon Partnership:
Oregon Partnership is a statewide nonprofit that has worked to promote healthy kids and communities for well over a decade by raising awareness about drug and alcohol issues, providing prevention education in classrooms, and 24-hour crisis lines for people needing help. To learn more, visit www.orpartnership.org.