BOYS TOWN, Neb. (KMTV) — September is Suicide Prevention Month - meant to help shift the perception around the crisis and spread the word about resources. At the Boys Town National Hotline, crisis counselors are helping people around the world.
- As many as 130 people staff the Hotline 24/7. In 2023, the organization says it received 111,243 contacts. Of those, 30,503 came from within Nebraska.
- Based on suicides in progress and cases where intervention was required, Hotline leaders believe their crisis counselors stopped 468 suicides last year.
- The Boys Town National Hotline number is 800-448-3000, or text 'voice' to 20121.
Continue reading for the expanded story.
The calls that come in can be serious. So, committing to the work takes empathy, clarity, and for Naina Schneckenberger - prayer.
"I'm just very blessed. I come to work and just think, 'I'm going to make it through the day and I'm going to help whoever I can, however I can'," she explained.
Schneckenberger has been with the Boys Town National Hotline for 21 of its 35 years. Her perspective shows how the times can affect our mental health.
"I think, with the rise of social media and world events, anxiety is just through the roof with people," she shared.
Last year, the Hotline had more than 111,000 contacts.
"We get a lot of teenagers (and) parents," Heather Obara added - pointing out that 29% of their calls last year came from people 23 and younger, which highlights its a focus, but not the extent of who they help.
"From young kids... eight years old up until in their 80s and 90s that will call in. And some people, for their lifetime, hadn't been okay to ask for help - whether it's cultural or just their generation," Obara expounded.
Hotline Executive Director Oscar Gonzalez said their work goes beyond calls.
"It's also about partnering with legislators to make sure that aspects that impact the larger community from a mental health perspective, we're being represented and have a seat at the table to talk about those types of issues - what we're seeing from our vantage point."
Nebraska accounts for about 27% of their contacts in 2023, though geolocating shows the Hotline's full reach.
"It is literally all over the entire world," Gonzales said.
Of all their facts and figures, there's one most profound: Last year, Boys Town National Hotline crisis counselors stopped 468 suicides.
"It's pretty amazing work, you know, honestly. The different people you get to talk to and just the realization that how deep it goes - how many things are going on in people's lives," Obara said of the understanding she's gained in five years with the Hotline.
The phone number is 800-448-3000, text 'voice' to 20121, or email hotline@boystown.org.