This webinar will explore the unique issues facing those doing virtual crisis management and response work such as crisis lines via phone, text, email or chat. Practical information and tools will be shared to offer support to people in these roles. We also aim to better understand your experiences in this field to inform future training opportunities.
Doing crisis line work can be extremely rewarding, and our field relies on countless people to serve as crisis staff answering phone calls and other messaging tools. The launching of the National 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline heightened the need for staff and leadership who have a unique set of skills. This workforce helps in immediate situations, saves lives and connects people to needed services. It performs crucial crisis intervention, suicide prevention and brief supportive counseling to people in emotional distress. They provide consultation to determine what options are appropriate and triages for safety and further evaluations. Supervisors of crisis call centers provide real-time feedback to staff, ensure exceptional customer service and effective, efficient program operations as well as stepping in for more complex scenarios. All the while, everyone strives to provide a supportive, trauma-informed, and inclusive environment. 
However, many factors contribute to why these roles are challenging. Staff face highly complex topics, severe distress and trauma which can affect their well-being. Job vacancies, insufficient resources, organizational culture and inadequate training can make a difficult role feel impossible. Professional distance and self-care can suffer when hearing crisis after crisis and is exacerbated by a climate unsupportive of staff wellness and by working extra shifts. 
In this interactive presentation, we will cover topics related to the establishment and maintenance of healthy boundaries between yourself and the work, strategies for engaging active coping skills that don’t feel like more on your “to do list,” and the various stress response systems, including how to recognize and engage effective coping based on how your brain and body are responding to the stress of the work.  
 
Goals: 
Develop detailed understanding of the ways that you personally may be impacted by the stressors of virtual crisis work
Understand how to create a plan for yourself in order to effectively manage stressors that you may be facing
Begin to establish and maintain clear boundaries for yourself that act to protect you from additional burnout risks
Outline participant needs and priorities for future trainings