AboutUs

About Us

Crisis Line of Central Virginia, Inc. began operating on November 14, 1983. Prior to that date, a clearly established need
for such a service was documented by an ad hoc committee of the region wide Correction Forum on Mental Health. The
committee’s recommendation of a Crisis Line was supported by existing community surveys and agency consultation and
was unanimously endorsed by the Forum as a necessary community service.

An initial fifteen member Board of Directors investigated operational procedures and functioning of the telephone
counseling service. Start up funding was obtained by a Community Development Block Grant, a grant form the Central
Virginia Community Services Board, and several volunteer organizations. In 1984, the agency became a United Way
agency. The Crisis Line originally operated only from 6:00 p.m. – 12:00 midnight, seven days a week.

Chatterline was introduced as a joint service of the Crisis Line Agency and Lynchburg Youth Services in December 1985.
This program was implemented after a report revealed that Planning District XI has the lowest number of licensed day care
facilities and the highest number of working mothers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Chatterline is in place to provide
reassurance, emergency help, conversation, and support services to elementary and some middle school aged children.
Children can contact the line from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays during the school year and 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. on
weekdays during the summer. Chatterline volunteers provide immediate support to the youngsters, thus enhancing self-
esteem and coping skills for those children that are home alone. A reference file of information and agencies is available
to assist the volunteer in providing children with solutions for household problems and their special interpersonal needs.
When the line is not being answered by volunteers, a voice mail recording provides the callers with information about the
times the line is open and numbers to call in case of an emergency.

Teen Talk actually began as the Runaway Line in March of 1987 with start-up funding through a grant from the State to
serve Planning District XI. The Runaway Line was initially marketed as a preventative program. Its purpose was to
provide a means for middle and high school aged youth who were dealing with problems at home to express their feelings
to a non-judgmental listener. It was later recognized that Planning District XI did not have a vast number of runaways
compared to the number of “runners” in major cities. In the Fall of 1991, the name was changed to Teen Talk in an effort
to encourage teens to call for assistance with a variety of issues from pregnancy to relationship problems. Teen Talk
became a 24 hour a day service in September 1991.

The Sexual Assault Response Program (formerly the Rape Companion Program) merged with the Crisis Line Agency in
July of 1991. SARP was previously housed at Lynchburg General Hospital and was a program of Centra Health. SARP
services include a 24 hour hotline and accompaniment to victims of sexual assault and abuse via the emergency and
police departments. Companions offer non-judgmental support, reporting and medical options, temporary shelter, criminal
justice support and advocacy, and follow-up contact. SARP also has an extensive community outreach and education
program. A full-time education coordinator provides programs in reducing one’s risk for assault and for training allied
professionals in how to assist victims.

In 2001, Crisis Line acquired the TeleCare program from Westminster Canterbury, who had taken it over from the Central
Virginia Area on Aging (CVAAA). The TeleCare program provides a daily weekday call to homebound residents to check
on their physical and emotional well-being. With a few minutes of conversation, volunteers help those who live alone feel
secure in their independence. When Crisis Line began working with the TeleCare program, there were only three people
who received daily calls. There are now over twenty people on the list, which grows on a daily basis.

CONTACT Crisis Line of Danville/Pittsylvania County merged with Crisis Line of Central Virginia, Inc. in July 2004. The
merger allowed Crisis Line of Danville/Pittsylvania County to become a 24 hour helpline certified by the American
Association of Suicidology (AAS), which it had not previously been. Crisis Line of Danville/Pittsylvania County, a program
of Crisis Line of Central Virginia, Inc., contracted with CVAAA to provide calls to their clients who are eligible. In addition,
Crisis Line of Danville/Pittsylvania County provides Information and Referrals for Danville.

In the fall of 2006, Crisis Line started its first direct assistance program. The HOPE (Helping Our People Eat) program
provides a voucher to Food Lion for individuals and families who are in need of food. Originally created for those who
have exhausted all area resources, the HOPE program has expanded to provide assistance to those who are unable to
take advantage of area resources for a variety of reasons (working full time and unable to take time off work, elderly,
disabled, etc.). The program has also provided food vouchers for a number of Crisis Line’s clients. One individual or
family can receive up to $50 of vouchers within a year.

Crisis Line of Central Virginia, Inc. is a United Way agency which provides assistance to anyone 24 hours a day. The
programs offered include Crisis Line, Teen Talk, Chatterline, the Sexual Assault Response Program, and TeleCare. All
services are provided under a volunteer Board of Directors, a small paid staff, and a large volunteer force which interacts
with anonymous callers and/or sexual assault victims.

Crisis Line, Teen Talk, and Chatterline are telephone help-line programs. Well trained volunteers answering lines offer
emotional support, referral information, and guided listening to help callers find solutions to their problems. The Sexual
Assault Response Program volunteers offer the same services via telephone and face-to-face interactions. TeleCare
volunteers provide reassurance to homebound residents, as well as assisting them with any additional needs.

CRISIS LINE
OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA, INC.

Crisis Line is dedicated to providing assistance and crisis intervention.
We will support, refer, assist in prevention, provide educational services
to individuals seeking community information or help for their own or their
family's emotional, physical, and mental well being.