Dial Help Crisis Call Line Shutting Down After 50 Years of Service to the Copper Country

Copper Shores Community Health Foundation will end the Dial Help Crisis phone line on June 1. The Foundation says that the plans to discontinue to the crisis line’s service in the local area stems from a dramatic drop in the number of calls coming in, and a higher volume of more regionally and nationally recognized phone numbers coming to taking calls.

Senior Program Director Rebecca Crane says she is proud of the service the crisis line provided to the local community, and that the decision to end the service was not an easy one for the foundation’s leaders. The mental health hotline industry has seen a lot of expansion in recent years since Dial Help was started more than 50 years ago. Local call volumes for the area have dropped by 85 percent in the past seven years. On time receiving about an average of 10 phone calls a day, and are now down closer to two per day.

Crane adds that the proliferation of easy-to-remember numbers that are shorter has led to other agencies receiving high call volumes. Additionally, there have been more services set up for more specific crises in recent times adding to the need for required certifications for a more generalized crisis call center to stay up to date. Community partners with the Dial Help crisis phone number have been made aware of the shutdown on May 31st. Starting June 1st a voicemail will list several other crisis lines that have more tailored specialties listed by the local agencies former number.

Crane also notes that while shutting down the crisis line was not something the foundation wanted to do, the move does allow the Victim Support staff to shift a larger focus toward the Child Advocacy Center, Sexual assault response team, LOSS Team, and Outreach and Education programs. Find more details about the crisis call line shut down here.