A companion article to one of our latest podcast episodes (203 – Frequently Asked Questions) this discusses and reiterates a few questions raised on the Podcast! Be sure to check out our “Frequently Asked Questions” episode here: On The Line – 203 – Frequently Asked Questions
I must be experiencing thoughts of suicide to reach out to the California Youth Crisis Line.
You do not have to be experiencing thoughts of suicide to reach out to the California Youth Crisis Line. Our highly trained volunteer Crisis Counselors can talk to you about a wide variety of topics and crises that you or your family may be experiencing.
If I mention that I’m suicidal, they’ll send police to my location.
Yes and no. There is a process to determine if it’s necessary for emergency services which includes discerning if a caller is presenting an immediate danger to themselves or others. By just mentioning that the you are suicidal won’t trigger an automatic call to the police.
Since the California Youth Crisis Line has the potential to send emergency services to my location, my call/text is not confidential.
Confidentiality is one of our main priorities between our service and the callers who call us. There are few instances that would cause us to break that confidentiality (such as when the line between ‘safe’ and ‘dangerous’ is crossed) but generally speaking, we do not keep records of who call us and we don’t share location information if there isn’t a clear and present need to.
What does happen when I call/text the California Youth Crisis Line?
You’re immediately connected (or placed on a brief 1-2 minute hold) to one of our highly trained Volunteer Crisis Counselors who are ready and willing to listen to whatever crisis you’re going through.
I have to be a ‘kid’ or a ‘teen’ to call the California Youth Crisis Line?
Our advertised age range is 12-24, but we will not turn away anyone who calls our line who is older or younger than that range.
What are your hours?
Our Crisis Line is available 24-hours-a-day 365-days-a-year.
Is there any cost if I reach out?
Our Crisis Line is completely free to use, and calling or texting us is 100% free. However resources and services that we refer callers to may or may not have costs associated with them (we will always prioritize finding free, low-cost, or sliding-scale resources and services if and when needed).
What kind of services do you provide?
We provide short-term crisis counseling, crisis intervention, and resource referrals to services in your immediate area. We provide warm hand-offs to services, translation services, and message relay services between youth and their parents/guardians.
What If I don’t live in California?
If you are within the United States, we will do as much as we can to help find you resources within your State/local area. The only callers we aren’t able to serve are those who call or text-in internationally.
Is there any limit to the number of times that I can call?
There is no limit to the number of times you can reach out to the Crisis Line. However if you are being abusive or spamming the line, those are instances where there may be limitations placed on your ability to call the line. The California Youth Crisis Line does not supplement or replace long-term professional mental health support (counseling and therapy).
Do you speak Spanish? Or any other languages?
We utilize a language line/translation service that provide us access to translators of hundreds of languages and dialects, allowing youth or families to call us in whatever language they feel comfortable in.
For a more in-depth look at our frequently asked questions, I highly recommend listening to one of our most recent On The Line podcast episodes: On the Line – 203 – Frequently Asked Questions.