Health

Help Is a Phone Call Away

a man in phone
The Access and Crisis Line offers support and resources countywide in over 200 languages from experienced counselors.
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There is never a day when Ray Mendoza does not deal with a crisis at work. The situations Mendoza handles can be a matter of life or death, but he doesn’t mind. In fact, he says, he loves his job because he gets to give people hope. Mendoza gets to save lives.

“When my phone rings, it’s a great thing,” said Mendoza. “People are reaching out for help.”

For 17 years, Mendoza, 47, has been a mental health clinician at the County’s Access and Crisis Line, a confidential counseling and referral hotline for people who feel overwhelmed or experiencing a mental health crisis.

Run for the County by OPTUM Health, the hotline (888) 724-7240 operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day. People can get help for mental health and substance abuse issues at any time and in any language.

When a person dials in, an automated system guides callers to appropriate help. People in crisis are instructed to press “8” and they are connected to a clinician in less than 45 seconds. On the other end, the first clinician at the top of the cue will take the call. If all clinicians are assisting clients, a digital board on the wall lights up red and an alarm goes off, instructing clinicians to get the call immediately.

“When people in a crisis call us, they’re at a point where they feel they are at the end their rope. They don’t see a way out,” said Mendoza, one of 12 clinicians answering calls during peak hours, usually between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  “We need to be ready to help that person.”

Typically, the hotline receives about 7,000 calls per month, although in recent months there has been a slight increase in the number of calls. This may be the result of the County’s stigma reduction and suicide prevention media campaigns. It’s Up to Us and Housing Matters both refer people to the Access and Crisis Line.

Not all calls coming in are from people in crisis. In fact, the majority of the calls are from people seeking referrals or from mental health professionals looking for resources for their clients.

When a person experiencing a crisis calls, clinicians automatically imagine the worst.

“We think of the worst case scenario. We immediately think it’s someone who is in danger of hurting himself or herself,” said Mendoza, who, like all clinicians answering calls, have a Master’s degree in mental health and/or are licensed professionals.

When the people calling are thinking about hurting themselves, Mendoza said, it is key to find out exactly what is going through their minds: Are they in immediate danger? Are they thinking about killing themselves? Do they have a plan? Every bit of information can help save a person’s life.

“We need to know what is going on, be with them in the moment to address their emotional state,” said Mendoza, who decided to pursue a career in counseling and psychology because he finds the human mind extremely interesting and because he has a brother who suffers from schizophrenia. “If they are calling is because they are ambivalent. They don’t know what to do. They need to know that you are there for them…that you want to help them and care enough not to see them get hurt.”

In San Diego County, 392 people died by suicide last year; that’s more than one person every day.

The tragic statistic should serve as a reminder for people to be aware of the warning signs of suicide. They include:

  • Talking of hurting or killing oneself
  • Hopelessness or helplessness
  • Divorce, separation, stress on family
  • Loss of health
  • Loss of job, home, personal security
  • Increased alcohol or drug use
  • Isolation from family and friends
  • Daring or risk-taking behavior

“Suicide is preventable,” Mendoza said, explaining that if a person reaches out for help, people need to take it seriously and be very direct. “If the (suicide) thought is there, it’s already there. That is why they are reaching out to you.”

Working at the Access and Crisis Line is emotionally and physically draining. To de-stress, Mendoza talks with peers and supervisors, lifts weights and rides his bicycle to work, five miles each way.

“That’s where our self-care kicks in,” said Mendoza, indicating that a good day on the job is when a person has been saved. “It’s important that you do anything that helps to de-stress yoursef so that you don’t get overwhelmed.”

After nearly two decades on the job, Mendoza still gets sad when he hears that another person has died by suicide.

“I feel for the loss of the person and the family,” said Mendoza, adding that he always wonders, “Why did they not reach us? Why did they not know we are here?”

José A. Álvarez is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact