The primary audience is youth and young adults aged 10 to 24, especially those at high risk for suicide. A secondary audience includes community members who are especially concerned with youth suicide and for whom hotlines can be a helpful, readily available resource. On the other hand, Shaffer notes that research on the effectiveness of crisis hotlines suggests that they have little impact on suicide rates in a community. He concludes, however, that their impact may be improved if enhanced by appropriate advertising and if hotline personnel are trained in how to respond more specifically to callers regardless of the caller s problems.
Immediate help is as close as a telephone.
Providing youth-friendly hotline response and outreach is important in facilitating the use of hotlines by young people. Implementation efforts should include plans for anticipating and dealing with an increase in crisis hotline use. Without such preparation, hotline workers and other care providers may be overwhelmed by public response. Hotline workers should receive regular supervision from a mental health clinician. Hotline workers should receive training in crisis response and management.