Her Story
About Stacey
I have been working in the mental health and crisis intervention field for almost five and a half years. I work specifically with the National Suicide Hotline on the third shift, where I handle many of the more serious calls that come in during the overnight hours. My work involves answering calls from people in crisis, sometimes those who just need to be heard at 3 o'clock in the morning when they have nobody else, and sometimes those at higher risk who have plans to harm themselves. I walk callers through our computer platform, asking the necessary questions about suicide risk, means, and plans. I document their stories, help them access resources, work out safety plans with them, and coordinate with supervisors to dispatch emergency services when someone has already hurt themselves. About 50% of my calls are suicidal in nature, and 50% are people struggling with mental health issues or addiction who need help finding therapists, treatment programs, or other resources they can afford. What I bring to this work is my own lived experience. I am very upfront and honest about the fact that I deal with my own mental health issues and I am a recovering addict who celebrated 7 years of sobriety in October. I got into this field because after getting sober, I realized there was a lot of trauma and mental health issues I had been through, and there weren't many people in the field who I could actually relate to. I wanted to be that person for others, someone who has actually been down the same road. I am able to share my story with callers when appropriate, which helps them feel understood. I have grown really comfortable sitting in that dark place with people and not pushing them through the call, but letting them get it all out so I can help direct them to their next path. I am very genuine and natural on the phone, not scripted or robotic, and I always try to spread hope and let people know that there is a way forward.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Stacey
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being able to be compassionate and natural in my work. It comes genuinely to me rather than feeling scripted or robotic. In my active addiction, I was a very mean and negative person, but today I am very positive with people on calls and I always try to spread hope. I let callers know that if they want to hear my story, I will share it, though I never push it on them. I promise them there is hope because I have lived it myself. Another key part of my success has been growing really comfortable with sitting in that dark place with people. It can be so dark, but I am able to do that and not push them through the call. I let them get it all out and then help direct them to their next path. I think being able to have that compassion and kindness for people, and being very genuine and myself on the phone, has made all the difference in the work I do.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them that it's going to be a long journey, and it's gonna feel really hard sometimes and frustrating, and you're going to want to give up. Don't give up, you can do it. Get to know those around you that do have the experience. Read all the texts. They give us so much textbooks in this program I took, and a lot of people I did go to class with just set them aside. But I'm a researcher, I'm a reader, I want to know what I'm looking at. You know, read, research. Even if you think you know something, go further. There's always more information. Especially in this field, it's always changing. There's always different things coming into play to make it better for those who need us. Don't give up.
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