Helplines and crisis resources
Posted on April 27, 2020 at 9:30 am
BY CRYSTAL MILLER
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has put many people in a state of crisis. Crisis covers many aspects of life: financial, emotional, physical, and mental, among others.
For some, the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order from Gov. Inslee has heightened tensions among housemates and, in some cases, increased the level of abuse and turmoil that individuals and families are experiencing.
Help exists for those in need and those who are vulnerable.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, having suicidal thoughts, struggling with addiction, struggling with mental health issues, or in need of support, there are resources and people you can turn to for help during this stressful and uncertain time.
Below are national, state-wide, and local resources for help in times of crisis and need.
In cases of emergency: Dial 911.
NATIONAL HELPLINES
Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence
Crisis & Support Line, 24–7: 1-800-927-0197
Online Live Chat: https://www.resourceconnect.com/cardv/chat (Monday–Thursday, 10am–6pm, for live chat with an advocate)
Website: https://www.cardv.org/
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Hotline, 24–7: 1-800-799-7233
Website: www.thehotline.org
Teen Dating Violence Hotline
Website & online chat: https://www.loveisrespect.org/
Call, 24–7: 866-331-9474
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Support Line, 24–7: 1-800-273-8255
Live Online Chat: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Veterans Crisis Line
Call: 1-800-273-8255 (press 1)
Call for support for deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889
Text Helpline: 838255
Online Live Chat, 24–7: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat
Website: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
National LGBT Hotline
Hotline: 1-888-843-4564 (Monday–Friday, 1–9pmPT, and Saturdays, 9am–2pm PT)
Email: help@LGBThotline.org
Website: https://www.lgbthotline.org/national-hotline.html
Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ Youth Helpline)
Trevor Lifeline, 24–7: 1-866-488-7386
Trevor Textline: Text START to 678678
Website: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/
RAINN: National Sexual Assault Hotline
Free and confidential. 24–7.
Call: 1-800-656-4673
Website: https://www.rainn.org/
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Call, 24–7: 1-800-422-4453
Website: https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/
Narcotics Anonymous
Website: https://na.org/
Resources for meetings online or by phone: https://na.org/?ID=virtual_meetings
Alcoholics Anonymous
Website: https://www.aa.org/
Note: Some groups may be meeting virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAMHSA Treatment Referral Helpline
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) has information on mental health and can help you locate treatment in your area.
Helpline: 1-877-726-4727 (Monday–Friday, 5am–5pm PT)
Website: https://www.samhsa.gov/
STATE RESOURCES
Washington State Coronavirus Response (COVID-19)
Website: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/
Washington 2-1-1
2-1-1 connects callers, at no cost, to critical health and human services in their community.
Call: 2-1-1
Website: https://wa211.org/
Search these categories online for specific resources:
- Disabilities
- Domestic violence
- Education
- Employment
- Financial
- Food
- Health Care
- Personal/household items
- Shelter/transportation
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Washington
Website: http://www.namiwa.org/
Crisis Text Line, 24–7: Text NAMI to 741741
National NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) (Monday–Friday, 7am–3pm PT)
National NAMI email: info@nami.org
LOCAL RESOURCES
Lutheran Community Services Northwest
Sexual violence, non-intimate partner domestic violence and other trauma services
Call, 24–7: 509-624-7273 (24-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis Line)
Text, 24–7: 509-624-7273
Website: www.lcsnw.org
Spokane County Suicide Prevention Resources
Website: https://srhd.org/media/documents/SuicidePrevResources1.pdf
Mujeres in Action (MiA)
Somos una organización sin fines de lucro con el compromiso de apoyar e interceder por las víctimas de violencia doméstica y/o agresión sexual en el área de Spokane.
MiA – Women in Action! is a non-profit organization committed to supporting and interceding victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault in the Spokane area.
Email: info@miaspokane.org
Call: 509-869-0876
Website: https://www.miaspokane.org/
Spokane Regional Service Area Behavioral Health Crisis Hotline
Call: 1-877-266-1818
Website: https://www.spokanecounty.org/4232/Spokane-RSA-Crisis-Services
Spokane County Walk-in Crisis Services (during business hours): Frontier Behavioral Health, 107 S. Division Street, Spokane, WA 99202
YWCA
Spokane’s only state-recognized intimate partner domestic violence program for victim and survivors.
Phone Helpline, 24–7: 509-326-2255
Text Helpline: 509-220-3725
Email: help@ywcaspokane.org
Website: https://ywcaspokane.org/programs/help-with-domestic-violence/
More resources from YWCA: https://ywcaspokane.org/news/community-resources/#Crisis%20Resources
Vanessa Behan
Vanessa Behan helps parents who are having difficulty providing safe shelter and care for their children.
Their primary services are 24-hour child care for infants and children under age 7, parent education, crisis counseling for parents, and referrals to other community agencies.
Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery: 509-535-3155
Website: www.vanessabehan.org
Child Care Aware of Washington
A nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every child in Washington has access to high-quality child care and early learning programs.
Call: 1-800-446-1114
Website: www.childcareawarewa.org
Spokane County Crime Check
Website: https://www.spokanecounty.org/1076/Crime-Check
Call, 24–7: 509-456-2233
In an emergency: Dial 911
Child Welfare Agencies and Crisis Hotlines in Spokane
Child Protective Services Hotline: 1-866-363-4276
Children’s Home Society: 509-747-4174
Center for Family Development: 509-744-1117
SAFETY PLAN
A safety plan is an aid to help those experiencing abuse at home. Creating a safety plan can be a first step in keeping you and your family safe.
myPlan app
Website: https://www.myplanapp.org
myPlan app is a tool to aid anyone—including you or someone you know—in a domestic violence situation.
- myPlan is the first interactive safety decision aid
- The tool is accessible via a mobile app and website
- It is designed to assist intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors in identifying and navigating their own safe path forward.
HELPING YOURSELF & OTHERS
During this pandemic, and all other times, it is important for all of us to check in with people in our own social network, especially those in vulnerable situations.
I hope that these resources will aid you and those in your life, if ever the need arises, whether during this pandemic or afterward.
If you don’t see the resource you need, you can contact the library, and we will do our best to connect you to the resource that can help you.
Crystal Miller is a Business and Career Development Librarian and has been working in libraries for 15 years. She has a Masters in Library Science from Simmons College and has worked at the Harvard Development Office Library, MIT Libraries, and the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. When she’s not at the library, she can be found at the dog park with her three fur babies or with a cookbook in hand, flipping through the pages, looking for the next recipe to try out.
Tags: abuse, addiction, adults, call, chat, Crime, crisis, distress, escape, hate, help, helpline, hotline, kids, LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ2IA+, need, need help, parents, resources, suicide, teens, text, tweens
