History and Services

After extensive research, planning and training by a dedicated group of community leaders, the Crisis Center opened in September of 1970.  Operating from a cramped two-room office in the basement of Birmingham’s City Hall, volunteers devoted to the well being of community members began answering the phones.  Dependent solely on private donations, the Center existed on a tenuous basis.

The Crisis Center was accepted as a Community Chest/United Way agency in September of 1973, and a sense of permanence was instilled.  The Crisis Center began to look toward the future and to plan for the continuing growth necessary to serve the community’s expanding needs.

Overview of Services

The primary services provided by the Crisis Center include telephone counseling for adults, senior citizens, children and adolescents; comprehensive care for victims of sexual assault; suicide intervention and bereavement services; and community education, information and referral.

Crisis Intervention Services

The Crisis Center telephones are covered 24-hours a day, every day of the year to provide immediate counseling for people experiencing a wide variety of problems.  Approximately 68 calls are answered each day, with most calls categorized as dealing with “interpersonal problems,” i.e. relating to marriage and relationships, family crisis and feeling of loneliness and isolation, etc. Other call categories include legal problems, health problems, drug and alcohol abuse, various kinds of emergency assistance and emotional or psychological problems.  The Crisis Center telephone counselor is trained to be an active, non-judgmental listener who allows the caller to express and sort through his or her thoughts and feelings in confidence.  Although the counselor may offer options and provide information during the problem solving stage of this process, the goal in most cases is to assist the caller in developing his or her own solutions.  Only in a few prescribed emergencies does the counselor direct the caller in what to do.  All the counselor’s work is done over the phones.  Once training is completed, telephone counselors are asked to make a one-year commitment to the Center, during which time they work two, three or four shifts totaling 12 hours per month.

Suicide Intervention Services

The key to suicide intervention is the recognition of warning signs and the willingness to both confront these signs and connect with the suicidal person.  Crisis Center volunteers from all programs are trained in suicide assessment and intervention.  They know that all indications of suicide, including threats, must be taken seriously.  They learn to assess the emergency and long-range risk of a person taking his or her own life and are trained to develop action plans based on these assessments in consultation with professional staff members.  They are aware of and can effectively mobilize community resources.  Finally, all volunteers are informed as to the ethical and legal issues surrounding the subject of suicide and are conscious of their own thoughts and feelings regarding this matter.  Knowledgeable, highly skilled counselors combined with a 24-hour availability of services make the Crisis Center an effective force in suicide intervention.  The Crisis Center also works to reduce the incidence of suicide through community education.

Rape Response Services

Sexual Assault is a crime of violence that can have wide-ranging and devastating effects upon the survivor as well as their family and loved ones.  Due to the sexual nature of the crime and to commonly held misconceptions and negative stereotypes, many survivors suffer enormous feelings of guilt, anger, post-traumatic stress and depression following an assault.  A serious disruption in normal life patterns is almost inevitable.

In 1975, Rape Response was founded on the premise that an intervention made subsequent to the assault, accompanied by supportive follow-up counseling, can be a powerful deterrent to the development of future emotional and psychological problems.  Specially trained volunteer advocates respond immediately when a victim of sexual assault presents at any Birmingham area emergency room or SANE Facility.  Rape Response advocated meet with victims at the hospital or SANE Facility, providing support, information and a change of clothing.  Advocates will stay with victims until they are discharged.  Supplemental to immediate crisis intervention, professional staff also offers on-going individual counseling, criminal justice advocacy and support group services for victims. Rape Response is also committed to community outreach through educational presentations and sexual assault risk reduction programs.

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Services

In January of 2002, The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Facility opened to provide victims comprehensive care within a private setting, as an alternative to public emergency departments. In a emergency department, it is not uncommon for victims to wait as long as six hours to be examined by ER staff.  By utilizing the SANE Facility, victims of sexual assault receive more efficient, compassionate and specialized care that is available at no cost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The SANE Facility coordinates efforts of forensic medicine, victim’s advocacy and law enforcement.  A SANE nurse is a registered nurse or nurse practitioner who has received advanced training in both the care of sexual assault victims and forensic evidence collection.  Combining this expertise with the use of specialized forensic equipment, SANE can provide detailed evidence within a court of law.  The Facility currently operates with a full time director/nurse practitioner, who is also involved with community outreach and partnership with law enforcement and area hospitals.

Kids' Help Line Services

Children can face many problems, and they too need a place to call to discuss their problems, whether large or small.  In 1984, after researching existing telephone services for children, a decision was made to develop a service capable of handling crisis calls as well as responding to general problems children may face.  The Kids Help Line was founded after numerous meetings with area professionals in the fields of psychology and education.  After staff consultations with legal experts, policies regarding confidentiality and legal responsibilities were developed.  Great care was taken to consider ethical issues involved with a telephone counseling service for children.

The Kids Help Line was opened on August 26, 1985.  During a six-month trial period, the Kids Help Line was advertised through the At-Home-Alone program.  Currently, we have one full time staff member visiting schools and conducting educational presentations and 20 active volunteers answering the line for children who need to explore thoughts and feelings with a trained counselor.

Teen Link Services

In 1994, the opportunity arose to address a significant population in our community: adolescents.  Teenage suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers and it is estimated that over 500,000 teens attempt suicide each year.  After research and consultation with professionals nationwide as well as in our own community, the decision was made to open a hotline called Teen Link.  The mission of this program is not only to provide a safe, non-threatening avenue for teens to address personal problems, but to also reach the high-school aged youths in our community and educate them about the aspects of suicide and associated warning signs. 

After careful consideration, we also lowered the age limit on volunteers for this program so that we could more effectively utilize the concept of peer counseling.  Teen Link has been successfully training and using volunteer counselors aged 16 and up.  Currently we have one full time staff member to visiting area high schools to present an effective proactive suicide prevention program to high school aged youths.  Additionally, we have 20 trained Teen Link counselors available to answer the hotline, which receives over 2500 calls each year.

Senior Talk Line Services

As people age, they face significant losses which include the deaths of family members and friends, as well as the loss of physical abilities and independence.  This can lead to extreme isolation, loneliness and depression.  Statistically, the senior population is at greatest risk for suicide.

In May of 2001, the Senior Talk Line opened to alleviate the isolation and loneliness that many senior citizens of our community experience. This program not only gives seniors a place to voice their problems, but also provides caregivers and others concerned about elderly individuals with support and access to resources for the senior population.  A major component of the Senior Talk Line is the Reassurance Call Service, where daily calls are made to senior citizens in order to restore a sense of human connection and community to these individuals.

Bereavement Services - The SOS Program

The Crisis Center provides counseling and a support group for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Facilitated by professionals, the Survivors of Suicide or SOS support group discusses and explores issues unique to suicide survivors.  The SOS group provides an open and non-judgmental atmosphere of support without the stigma often associated with suicide.

In a bi-monthly format, group members share their stories as well as various coping skills they have found to be helpful in the healing process.  To the survivor of suicide, healing at first seems impossible; however, through sharing the burden of grieving and mourning, survivors can learn to live with the reality of suicide.

Community Education

The Crisis Center provides education services to schools, churches, hospitals, business and civic organizations in the areas of crisis, suicide and sexual assault, as well as a variety of other topics related to mental health.  The nature of these services ranges from interviews in the news media to presentations to students or professional groups.  Additionally, Crisis Center staff members often serve as consultants to other organizations and independent professionals.

Information and Referrals

The Crisis Center provides information on local resources often helpful to our callers.   This information is available through up-to-date listings of local agencies and private organizations specializing in a variety of services relating to human needs. Referrals for general counseling, substance abuse and treatment, food and clothing, emergency assistance, social organizations and support groups are only a few examples of what the Center’s volunteers are able to provide callers.

The Mental Health Association of Central Alabama

For the past 68 years, the Mental Health Association has been working to improve the lives of the seriously mentally ill in Central Alabama.  This programs serves as a psycho-social rehabilitation program providing a continuum of care for the mentally ill in Jefferson, Walker and Shelby counties.  The Mental Health Association also provides education to the community on mental health issues and serves as a national location site for depression screening.  In 2002, 169 clients were served through this program.  In December, 2002, the Mental Health Association became a part of the Crisis Center and is the newest service under the Crisis Center umbrella.