Crisis line & 988 workers

In a 2025 survey of 988 center leaders, about three in four centers used only paid counselors. Many centers also answer other lines, such as 211 or local lines.

Leaders at centers that answered only 988 contacts reported less trouble keeping staff than those juggling other lines too.

Many crisis lines rely on volunteers. About one in four 988 centers used a mix of paid staff and volunteers in 2025.

Crisis Text Line is answered by trained volunteer Crisis Counselors.

On teen-to-teen lines, volunteers aged 14–20 support other young people. In a U.S. pilot study, they said they joined mainly to help others and give back. They responded to a wide range of problems, including high-risk suicide contacts.

Specialty lines bring their own pressures. Volunteers on a chat line for sexual assault survivors described carrying the weight of trauma stories without visual cues.

Operators on an overdose response line described both emotional strain and strong meaning, purpose and peer connection.

People often reach out by chat or text because they want to stay anonymous. That anonymity helps them, but it can leave you wondering what happened next.

Volunteers on an anonymous chat line said the lack of visual and verbal cues could make hard conversations feel even more distressing.

Most 988 centers report being understaffed, which can mean less time between contacts. The study’s authors warn this could put staff wellbeing and service quality at risk.

A review of crisis lines after the 988 launch found that training and financial resources were not yet enough. It called for more culturally tailored training for staff and volunteers.

These contacts ask a lot of you in a short time. Afterward, your body may stay on high alert for a while. That’s a normal stress response.

A sudden ending can leave you replaying the conversation. Follow your center’s protocol, then talk it through with a supervisor or teammate rather than carrying it alone.

These contacts are not a test of your skill. Know your center’s policy for ending or transferring them, and tell your supervisor afterward.

Some crisis workers bring their own lived experience of mental health issues or suicide to the role. That can deepen empathy, and some contacts may hit harder.

Having a personal trauma history is linked with somewhat more secondary traumatic stress among helpers.

Repeat contacts can bring mixed feelings: care, frustration, worry, guilt. All of these are human. Your center’s care plans and supervisors can help you keep a steady approach.

Volunteers on a text-based line described how anonymous, written conversations added to the difficulty of trauma work.

Once a conversation is closed, try not to scroll back through it unless your role requires it. Repeated exposure to trauma material adds to the load.

Volunteers on one chat line coped by using their organization’s resources, using separation and disconnection techniques, and finding their own balance between personal and professional boundaries.

• Close the window and take three slow breaths
• Stand up or stretch between chats
• Look at something far away for a minute

• Use one spot for shifts, even if it’s a corner
• Put your headset and laptop away when you’re done
• If you can’t, cover them or turn them to face the wall

Consistent transitions from work to home help people manage traumatic material.

• Walk around the block before and after
• Change clothes
• Play the same song to start and finish

Strong team support was one of the things that helped remote overdose line operators feel the work was sustainable.

Isolation on or off the job raises the risk of vicarious trauma.

• Ask for refresher training on the contacts you find hardest
• Join debriefs or volunteer meet-ups
• Keep shifts to a number that fits your life
• Tell your coordinator if life outside gets heavy

Volunteers on one chat line leaned on their organization’s resources to manage stress.

Teen volunteers reported that crisis line work affected their lives in many ways. Researchers say more study is needed on how this work affects young people.

• Always know which adult supervisor to go to
• Never take a contact home with you in secret
• Keep time for school, rest and fun

Your teen may not be able to share details, and that’s part of the role. You can ask how they’re feeling, notice changes in sleep or mood, and remind them it’s okay to take a break.

Needs change. Stepping back because of exams, a new baby, grief or your own mental health is a healthy choice, not a failure. Many lines welcome people back later.

Volunteers who felt more prepared for call-taking reported less secondary traumatic stress.

Researchers studying crisis workers recommend structuring the work environment and emphasizing key messages in training and supervision.

Social support was linked with less burnout and more compassion satisfaction among crisis line volunteers.

Across helping professions, support at work and in life is linked with less secondary traumatic stress.

Volunteers on one line each found their own balance between personal and professional boundaries.

Meaning, purpose and peer connection were key drivers of fulfilment for overdose line operators.

A sense of meaning in the work can protect against the effects of trauma exposure.

In one study, volunteers who rated their own mental health more highly were more willing to seek help from a doctor for an emotional problem.

Supervisors can talk openly about vicarious trauma, protect downtime, watch for withdrawal, and refer staff to professional help when needed.

• Offer to grab a drink or cover a moment
• Share what helps you after hard contacts
• Notice if someone seems flat, jumpy or withdrawn

Free, confidential support 24/7. You can also chat at 988lifeline.org.

Free, confidential support by text, 24/7.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) lists free, confidential helplines in more than 175 countries.