Believing that the sagging economy is responsible for an enormous increase in calls to the Crisis Hotline operated by Crisis Intervention of Houston, counselors are publicizing the addition of a Job Hotline as well.
In 2010, suicide calls to Crisis Hotline increased 220 percent over the same January-to-June period last year. Counselors believe the struggling economy and an increase in the unemployment rate are driving the increase in despondent calls.
“This kind of disruption, unanticipated disruption, in someone's life, can lead to something like that,” said Dr. Jonita Reynolds of the Gulf Coast Community Services Association, which provided the start-up money for the Job Hotline through its receipt of stimulus funds.
On May, the bodies of a husband and wife were found inside their home on Arncliffe near Antoine in Northwest Houston. They had been deceased for nearly a month. Houston police said they found suicide notes, specific instructions on funeral plans, and other evidence that unemployment and a pending foreclosure led the couple to take their own lives.
Crisis Intervention of Houston counselors hope wider publicity of the Job Line they added last November will give people in similar straits another resource for help.
"What it turns up being, just in conversation, is that this person may have been thinking about suicide as an option for quite some time,” said Brenda Fitch, the director of operations for Crisis Intervention of Houston.
"Don't spend five more minutes worrying about what you're going to do,” said Executive director Shari Koziol. “There are resources to be had and people waiting for you to call.”
More information:
The Crisis Hotline is 713-HOTLINE. (713-468-5463).
The Job Hotline is 713-533-WORK (713-533-9675).
www.crisishotline.org
