This guest post is by a former crisis coordinator from a non-profit agency for survivors of sexual violence. The opinions here are the author’s own. The author was paid to write this article.
I Love Survivor Support
I’m grateful for my role as a crisis coordinator, managing the 24/7 helpline, text/chat, and hospital accompaniment services at my local rape crisis center. However, like many in this role, I often faced constant worries.
What if Calls Aren’t Answered?
What if the phones don’t ring? What if someone answering the phone says something inappropriate, misleading, or that could be considered legal advice to a survivor? How do I make sure that if an advocate misses a call/chat/text/accompaniment, someone still answers it? What if a victim or survivor is left waiting so long to get a call back that they don’t get what they need?
Crisis Coordinators Put Out Fires Constantly
I stayed on top of hotline support by getting notifications for every text and chat, anytime. I checked if the advocate responded and reviewed the interactions to ensure correct routing. I compared call logs to prevent lost calls. If schedules changed last minute, I adjusted them myself. It was tiring!
Helpline Software Changed Everything
The risk that survivors would be incorrectly routed or calls get missed is practically nonexistent. Helpline Software doesn’t use third-party operators, works with carrier networks, and automatically routes survivors according to the order and schedule provided; and there are real time call logs to see exactly what happens with each request. It just worked, simple as that!
Support Crisis Coordinators with Helpline Software
If you or your agency would like to see how Helpline Software may be able to help crisis coordinators to reduce time spent correcting helpline mistakes, you can reach out for a free hotline/helpline consultation at sales@helplinesoftware.com or schedule a meeting.
