Remote Crisis Response
By Jessica Torres
As this strange COVID time continues, we are working on several ways to make sure that we can continue to provide help for those that need us. One of the primary ways we are working to ensure the continuity of hotline services is preparing for remote hotline response. We have made great progress in setting up our remote response team.
“Taking calls remotely has gone really well during quarantine. The set up was easy and there have been no technological issues since we first started doing this.”
To date, we have trained 25 people to take calls and text/chat remotely, and two additional people are prepared to take texts and chats from home. 9 of these wonderful volunteers are currently serving their regular shift remotely, and others are prepared to work remotely as needed. The remote process is slightly more complicated than what everyone is familiar with in the phone room, but most volunteers have gotten the hang of the process without too many difficulties.
It always takes a bit of time to adjust to a new method, but we certainly have a dedicated group of volunteers and staff who have worked out many of the kinks! One of our superstar volunteers Cathy Adolf was one of the first to sign up to work remotely.
Here is what she has to say about the process: “Taking calls remotely has gone really well during quarantine. The set up was easy and there have been no technological issues since we first started doing this. A big difference I have noticed is that wearing my headphones I can hear the callers much more clearly and feel like I am getting more information out of the calls. Instead of relying upon my supervisor Eric to translate for me I feel more on the ball. Plus, I can wear my pajamas and no one knows! I am able to multitask at home, as well. Laundry gets folded, dogs get fed, and other household things can happen between calls while wearing Bluetooth headphones. It’s so convenient.”
The benefits of having a remote-ready team of volunteers are many in this unpredictable world we are living in! One of the main benefits is the ability to keep the hotline functioning if we need to lock down again. We kept the hotline going very minimally during our first lockdown, with just the supervisors coming into the building to take calls, but this will allow us to continue helping people at closer to regular capacity. We also have a few volunteers who have moved away from the Boise area who are continuing to volunteer for us from afar! Of course, as Cathy mentioned, the option to take calls in your pajamas might be the best reason of all to work remotely!
If you are interested in getting set up and trained to work remotely, please reach out to George, Jessica, or Mary P. We are still working our way down the list of volunteers who are interested in getting set up and trained to work remotely, and we will get everyone trained who is willing and able! If you don’t have a quiet space to take calls from home, there is also the option to help cover text and chat from home. We love to keep our volunteers busy, so if you have the time and interest in getting set up to work remotely, even just as a backup option, we want to hear from you!