Lines for Life has been selected from over 160 crisis centers across the nation to be the sole backup center for the national Veterans Crisis Line. We’re gearing up to field an estimated 1,200 additional calls each month when the Veterans Crisis Line is experiencing high call volume, service interruptions, or staffing fluctuations.
Since 2012, we have served alongside a handful of other crisis call centers to provide backup support to the Veterans Crisis Line. In 2016 alone, we fielded 30,221 calls from the Veterans Crisis Line. Under the new, $3.4 million contract that runs September 2017-September 2018, we will become the only backup center serving the Veterans Crisis Line. To expand our existing support of the Veterans Crisis Line, we’ll be hiring 25 new staff.
“We couldn’t be more proud of having been chosen as the only backup center to the Veterans Crisis Line,” says Lines for Life CEO Dwight Holton. “We got this contract because we have a proven track record of supporting military service members and Veterans. Our passionate staff of veterans, family members of veterans, and other civilians are highly trained, well-versed in military culture, and perfectly positioned to provide superb quality care for those who call the Veterans Crisis Line.”
With support from members of Oregon’s congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Lines for Life is pleased to launch this expanded effort. “We are dedicated to maintaining our reputation for high-quality care and providing a safe place for Veterans and their families to call during their most difficult times,” says Holton.
The Veterans Crisis Line is operated by the Mental Health Association of New York City.