Crisis Intervention by Malaika Jawed

Crisis InterventionBy Malaika Jawed

Teenagers who face emotional, mental, physical, and behavioral distress or problems can find help through crisis intervention helplines and can also be provided with links to local services.

School psychologist and case manager Ms. Maury Wohl said, "A crisis hotline is a way to seek help for mental health problems available by phone or text: it is free, it is anonymous, and staffed by highly trained counselors. Try to imagine that someone you care about feels as badly as you do. Would you like to help them? Don't you deserve the same hope for your future? The answer is, you do. You deserve it."

There are several crisis intervention helplines directly in the South Brunswick area. The South Brunswick School District website,sbschools.org ,under the Parent and Student Info tab, the Crisis Information category provides information regarding crisis intervention which is available to all students and other website visitors.

As mentioned on the website, 1-888-908-4636 is the information line that, “provides information and phone numbers to a variety of services in Middlesex County.” Also, along with other options, websites and phone numbers, suicide hotline numbers 1-800-999-9999 or 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433), are also listed.

The school district website also states other sources of obtaining help including Children’s Crisis Intervention Services that, “provide youths with walk in emergency mental health services including assessment, stabilization, recommendations and assistance in accessing follow-up services" and they can be contacted at 1-800 732-235-5705 or 1-732-235-5700.

Although this applies more commonly to students and teenagers, anybody of any age who feels as a threat to themselves or others has free access to professional help.

Ms. Wohl said, "When someone is considering hurting themselves —as a way to solve a problem or because they are in so much emotional pain— contacting a crisis hotline can be, literally, a lifesaver. It is the first step to finding other ways to cope. Crisis hotlines do not discriminate: they are there to support people who feel lonely or depressed, angry at their parents, struggling with drugs or abuse or confused about sexual orientation. "

Along with helplines who do their work over the phone, another alternative is also accessible for people who, for any reason, do not have access to the hotlines. Chatting rooms, made specifically to serve as national suicide prevention hotlines, are available to anybody with internet access.

Websites like unsuicide.wikispace and crisischat.org are some websites that work to provide emotional support through chatting rooms. Crisischat.org services are available from 2 pm to 2 am. Unsuicide.wiki has several links that can be accessed in order to obtain help.

The home page of unsuicide.wikispace said, “Can't talk on the phone, and seeking alternative help for emotional crisis? Find e-mental health services (live chat, texting, email, peer support forums, social media, Skype, apps, videos, and more) in this directory. If you're thinking about suicide, please reach out and communicate, using technology you're comfortable with.”

 

These phone and text services have been set up to provide help to those who seek it.

Ms. Wohl said, " If you think that everybody else is having an easier time of living day-to-day, if you are convinced that tomorrow will be as awful as today – please be your own best friend and reach out for help."