Warren County is where the corporate office is located, as well as the Adult Crisis and Stabilization Unit (SACS). The SACS handles a number of programs offered by Lifestyles, Inc. Including an inpatient unit for adults in a mental health crisis, jail triages, evaluations for involuntary hospitalizing, and a 24 hour crisis hotlist.
Due to the nature of the other programs handled by the SACS, no volunteer opportunities are available; however, the only requirement for employment is a high school diploma. All Lifestyles clients are given the information for contacting the helpline in a crisis, and the phone number is also listed on the Lifestyles website. The employees who answer the helpline calls are trained on how to handle different types of calls, from chronic callers, prank lealer, and suicidal callers.
When a person calls in with threats of suicide or homicide, the employees work with the local police departments in order to have the client picked up and brought to the unit for an evaluation to see if they meet the criteria for admission to the unit, to be sent to Western State Hospital involuntarily, or to be sent home to follow up with outpatient treatment. I have been an employee of the SACS for almost four years, and I feel that this opportunity has taught me a lot about the human service field and the mentally al.
I have learned different ways of working with clients, and learned how to use active listening when it comes to getting them the help that they need. Answering the helpline calls is only one of my job duties, but in my opinion, it is the most critical. We have to be able to think quickly and work with others in the office in order to get help quickly when needed. I have been on the phone with clients as they were in the process of swallowing too many pills, and worked quickly to send an ambulance for the client.
I have also been able to comfort chronic callers who just desperately need to talk to someone on the phone because the “voices” are quiet when she has someone real to talk to. I never considered a job working in the human services field, and taking this position has made me change a lot of the goals in my life. This is the reason I decided to further my education and pursue a degree in human services. References: Lifestyles Inc. (n. D. ). Lifestyles Inc.
