Memphis Crisis Center hustling to keep lines of hope open
To bring a person back down from a moment of crisis, follow Michael Labonte’s “golden rule of active listening” — listen to others as we, ourselves, wish to be heard and understood.
That’s what Labonte tells volunteers that have been manning the phones of the Memphis Crisis Center throughout an unholy trinity — a pandemic, economic uncertainty, and a contentious presidential election that set many, if not most Americans on edge.
“These factors exacerbate the issues people already have with mental health,” said the center’s executive director, Michael Labonte. “Certainly the presidential election is stressful for everyone.”
The center, nearing its 50th year of operation, is busy. Calls coming in are up by 20% from this time last year. The line to reach the center is (901) 274-7477.
During the first months of the pandemic, Labonte said, calls from individuals expressing thoughts of suicide spiked by 22%.
Not every call is from someone threatening self-harm, but every person that calls is doing so because they are in crisis. And for many that call, Labonte said, the crush of isolation and distress can be momentarily alleviated.
“We have to work as an emotional band-aid,” Labonte said. “The reality is that anytime we can de-escalate a crisis, that’s preventing the possibility of life-threatening behavior.”
The stress of 2020 on the populous has materialized in myriad ways in Memphis and the Mid-south.
Overdose rates, referred to by public health officials as the “pandemic within the pandemic” have claimed hundreds of lives since March. Since this time last year, 343 have died from suspected overdoses, according to provisional data from the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center.
And, Labonte said, there’s been an “explosion of calls from people dealing with financial problems, particularly from unemployment.”
In search of active listeners
The call center, tucked away in an anonymous building in Memphis’ Medical District, has been powered by an allvolunteer staff for decades now. And they need help, Labonte said, particularly for overnight shifts during the week.
And if the work seems daunting, LaBonte points out that most people have engaged in crisis intervention, whether formal or not.
“We’re not engaging callers in longterm therapy, we are meeting them where they at in their crisis,” Labonte said.
Most people, he said, have experience in being present for a friend or a loved one caught in a crushing moment.
The model used for training at the center was developed by Richard James, one of the founders of the Memphis Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team.
Central to the crisis center’s model is being an active listener. Many people, Labonte said, already know how to do that from relationships with others important to them.
The other piece of the center’s model is connecting callers with long-term, professional resources they need. And, Labonte said, it’s critical for volunteers to know “there’s only so much you can do.”
For those considering volunteering, contact the center through email, at volunteers@crisis7.org.