Crisis Support Services (CSS) began as a nonprofit, volunteer-based crisis intervention and suicide prevention agency in 1966. The goal was to provide free crisis counseling 24 hours a day to anyone who was suicidal or depressed. Since then, CSS has grown to provide a variety of mental health services to a wide range of persons in varying degrees of crisis. Our primary mission is to assist people in emotional distress, to offer supportive counseling to those in crisis and to prevent suicide.

CSS carries out this mission by offering counseling in a safe environment, whether it be on the 24-hour toll-free crisis line, in face-to-face counseling for at risk populations or as part of the community education program designed to prevent suicide. Crisis Support Services has extensive experience providing mental health services to people with psychiatric disabilities, people dealing with grief, seniors, people in crisis, and those experiencing depression, despair or feelings of suicidality.

The 24-hour crisis line is the heart of the agency. Over the course of a year, the agency responds to over 60,000 calls from people who are in crisis, lonely, depressed, suicidal, and/or chronically mentally ill. The professional staff and 80 trained interns and volunteers who staff the crisis lines receive intensive training in clinical interventions and crisis work.

Description:
CSS offers a range of dynamic training and professional growth opportunities. Currently, CSS' services include:

• 24 hour telephone crisis line
• Grief counseling - individual, family, groups and debriefing services
• In-home senior counseling program
• Drop In stress counseling for displaced workers (based on disaster mental health model)
• School based counseling (elementary through high school)
• Suicide attempter's group
• Education and consultation (schools, professionals and hostage negotiation teams)
• Training and professional development

Lay persons receive supportive and thorough training in counseling, suicide assessment and crisis intervention. Graduate students and interns receive excellent supervision, participate in monthly ground rounds and have an opportunity to learn from some of the most seasoned mental health experts in the community.

Professionals are also afforded the opportunity to gain skills and further develop expertise in crisis intervention, assessment, gerontology, grief counseling, critical incident stress debriefing and supervision. CSS provides training, support and CEU's to licensed individuals affiliated with the agency.

History:
For over forty years Crisis Support Services of Alameda County(CSS) has served the diverse needs of our community. A nonprofit agency, CSS is certified by the American Association of Suicidology.

Contact people:

Claire Wahrhaftig, Volunteer Recruiter, (phone), (email) Chrissy Brewer, Clinical Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (510) 420-2460

Address:

P.O. Box 3120 Oakland, CA 94609

Web Site: http://www.crisissupport.org

Directions:

Locatio is confidential and will be given to volunteers coming in for a interview over the phone.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Ashby Bart,   Walk distance (in minutes): 10