ABOUT US

If you are experiencing an emergency or have an immediate need, please call our 24-hour hotline at (205) 323-7777 or 1 (800) 273-8255.

• Crisis & Suicide Line: (205) 323-7777
• Rape Response Line: (205) 323-7273
• Youth Talk Line: (205) 328-5465
• Senior Talk Line: (205) 328-8255
• Recovery Resource Center: (205) 458-3377
• Representative Payee Program: (205) 458-8988

CRISIS & SUICIDE LINE

This hotline is available 24/7/365 to offer callers empathy and unconditional positive regard, minimize suicide risk, normalize callers’ feelings, and validate experiences, enabling callers to problem-solve and utilize healthy coping skills. As needed, we refer callers to other programs within the agency, as well as other organizations to address specific needs.

SEXUAL ASSAULT SUPPORT

Our Rape Response and SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners) programs provide a safe, accessible place for survivors of sexual assault to have forensic evidence collected, provide trauma-informed support and crisis counseling for survivors on their healing journeys, link survivors with appropriate community support and resources, and provide a safe, compassionate link to the criminal justice system through legal advocacy and SANE services. These programs also provide training to community agencies and partners on trauma-informed care for survivors, and community education to prevent sexual assault and power-based personal violence.

RECOVERY RESOURCE CENTER

The RRC is a collaborative initiative dedicated to simplifying the substance use treatment system process by providing a central point of information. The center’s staff and volunteers have the expertise to answer questions, initiate the treatment admission process, and make referrals as needed. All services are voluntary and are offered at no cost to the client.

YOUTH TALK LINE

Our youth hotline is available 7 days a week from 3-10PM for children aged 6-18. YTL gives young people of Central Alabama a safe, supportive place to process feelings and life events – large and small – when faced with challenging issues and uncertainty. We also offer prevention education sessions presented virtually and in-person to students in elementary, middle, and high schools in Jefferson, Walker, Blount, St. Clair, Shelby.

SENIOR TALK LINE

This free talk line provides supportive connection through weekly telephone calls to seniors and caregivers of seniors with the goal of alleviating negative impacts associated with social isolation and loneliness. Through regular calls from trained volunteers, we provide our clients someone to talk with about what they are going through, someone who will listen with compassion and offer supportive encouragement. We also encourage healthy self-care, help connect clients to helpful resources in their area, and strive to empower them to make the positive changes as they age.

988 NATIONAL SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE

988 is a national lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

REPRESENTATIVE PAYEE PROGRAM

This program meets an important community need by managing Social Security SSI disability benefits for those who cannot manage their own due to their mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance use issues. Our goal is to offset the hardships faced due to a diagnosis of a serious mental illness, including the inability to fully participate in the workforce as well as manage their own finances. We advocate for each individual consumer and oversee their finances to ensure they have basic needs met.

In September 1970, after extensive research, planning and training by a dedicated group of community leaders, the Crisis Center opened.  Operating from a cramped two-room office in the basement of Birmingham’s City Hall, volunteers devoted to the well being of community members began answering the phones.  Dependent solely on private donations, the Center existed on a tenuous basis.

The Crisis Center was accepted as a Community Chest United Way agency in September 1973, and a sense of permanence was instilled.  The Crisis Center began to look toward the future and to plan for the continuing growth necessary to serve the community’s expanding needs. 

Our call center and Sexual Assault Support Services operate from a modern, private building on the United Way of Central Alabama’s Campus. Our Representative Payee Program operates in its own location at 401 Beacon Pkwy W, and the Recovery Resource Center provides recovery support services from Cooper Green Mercy Hospital.

We are financed by United Way allocations (which are fed by the generous support of the community during the annual United Way Campaign), by a Federal Block grant administered through the State of Alabama Department of Public Health, Jefferson County Department of Health, an Alabama Department of Economic & Community Affairs Law Enforcement Grant, and by donations made directly to the Center. Funding is also received from the Jefferson County Commission and the City of Birmingham. Additionally, the agency receives private donations as well as support from private foundations.

We are governed by a 9-25 member Board of Directors consisting of community leaders in business, education, medicine, law enforcement, mental health, and the social services.  The Board is responsible for policymaking, financial planning, and overall supervision of programs, services and personnel. 

We operate under the direction of 60-70 permanent staff members who share responsibility for administration, direct services, community relations, fiscal operations and the recruiting, training, and supervision of approximately 180 volunteers per year.