Switchboard of Miami


Switchboard of Miami, Inc., commonly referred to as Switchboard, was a private, nonprofit and registered 501 organization located in Miami, Florida, United States that provides Miami-Dade County with comprehensive telephone counseling and referral services to thousands of social service programs. Crisis hotlines managed by the organization are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The organization also offers counseling services and prevention programs, such as initiatives aimed at assisting high-risk youth and their families through partnerships with local schools. Since 1968, these services have been offered to the community at no charge. Callers can seek advice confidentially, as no information is needed by the company in order to receive the services.

Credentials

The organization maintains a HELPline Services Department that is certified by the American Association of Suicidology, licensed by the and accredited by the .

Partnerships

Switchboard is partnered with other organizations to receive additional funding and pool resources, including the United Way of Miami, Miami-Dade County and . Switchboard answers the 2-1-1 hotline in Miami, which is funded by The Children's Trust to help children and families seek information on issues related to school, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, teen pregnancy and more. Switchboard is also one of many partners working with the United Way through to provide aid for earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile.

Services and projects

The organization has been involved in many campaigns throughout Miami, working with other community partners on projects such as attracting Creole-speaking volunteers that can answer calls made by those who would like to know more about the disaster in Haiti and those who were directly affected by the disaster.

HELPline information

Every year more than 168,000 people call the HELPline, which is accessed at 358-HELP. Services offered by Switchboard are available in English, Spanish and Creole, making it the only trilingual call center in the United States. The call center acts as the backup for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for the entire United States in Spanish and for the Southeastern United States in English.
In addition to the 2-1-1 hotline and the 358-HELP line, the organization maintains ten other service hotlines designed to target specific needs in the community.
  1. Switchboard is part of the network of crisis centers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the 1-800-SUICIDE Hotline, which are both designed to link individuals in an immediate crisis situation with counselors who are trained to prevent loss of life.
  2. The GLBT Awareness Initiative Hotine serves the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community by providing education, prevention and intervention discussions for partners, friends and loved ones. It is funded in part by the and the .
  3. The Teen Link Hotline gives young adults access to information on relevant topics including drug use, health issues, physical abuse, sexuality, relationships, pregnancy, family and school.
  4. The Youth Gang Hotline provides effective information and referral services via trained counselors to minimize youth gang involvements. Services are available for youth, parents, teachers, clergy and others dealing with a loved one involved in gang activity. The hotline is funded in part by Miami-Dade County.
  5. The Seniors Never Alone Program is a telephone reassurance program for individuals 65 years of age and older that provides a connection for those who might live alone or have little contact with loved ones. Seniors are called at least twice a week to ensure physical and mental health as well as provide moral support. The program was initiated by former Miami-Dade County Commissioner and is funded in part by Miami-Dade County.
  6. The Jackson Health System - Rape Treatment Center Hotline is the after-hours answering service for the , funded by the Jackson Health system. The hotline provides crisis counseling, suicide prevention and referral services, as well as the ability to activate the RTC Response Team which consists of trained physicians, nurses and counselors at the facility.
  7. Operation Helping Hands is a specialized hotline that is only operational when activated by United Way of Miami during times of major unanticipated catastrophe.
  8. The Miami-Dade County Public Schools Employee Assistance Program is a hotline designed only for use by employees of Miami-Dade County Public Schools as an after-hours answering service for the . It is funded by Miami-Dade County Public Schools to offer telephone support, follow-up and emergency response.
  9. The Florida BrAIve Helpline was created through and is Florida's largest information and referral network. The line is dedicated to the servicemen and women who served in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, as well as assisting other war veterans and their families.

    Local media exposure

Switchboard has earned exposure on many news outlets in Miami including television stations such as WFOR 4, WTVJ 6 and WPLG 10., as well as printed media such as The Miami Herald and the Miami New Times. This press coverage often leads to stronger partnerships, such as the initiative created by WPLG 10, which connected philanthropic individuals in the community to stories they would see in a segment during WPLG's news broadcasts. The partnership allowed viewers to access a helpline answered by Switchboard, providing help in order to fill the needs of those featured in the segment.

Company information

History

In 1968, Switchboard of Miami began as a hotline created by three volunteers to help connect college students to resources that would assist them in finding affordable housing options in Miami-Dade County. Soon after, as the Republican National Convention was taking place in Miami during the time, city officials reached out to the volunteers to ask for their help in maintaining order. The Vietnam War was part of the public agenda, and millions of residents were furious about how it affected their lives. The volunteers agreed to help, and were soon inundated with calls regarding issues far more complex than housing troubles.
Shortly thereafter, the volunteers incorporated to become Switchboard of Miami, Inc. and expanded their hotline services, clinical services and assistance to the community. A full company timeline can be found below.
Switchboard of Miami's vision is "to be the premier organization that provides and connects people with the human services they need."

Mission statement

The mission statement reads "Switchboard of Miami connects all people in need with community resources, provides counseling and empowers individuals 24/7 with just one call."

Criticism

Visibility

Although Switchboard has been in business for over 40 years, there are people in Miami who are not aware of the organization's existence. They lack the visibility that an organization with such a long history might be expected to have. Many believe the 2-1-1 hotline is answered by The Children's Trust and associate the line with the company, even though Switchboard answers the line and provides the services for it. While thousands of people rely on Switchboard's services and may even have been helped by the organization in the past, they are sometimes unable to associate the organization's brand with its services.

Technology

As the means by which people seek out and gather information changes, it is possible that telephone hotlines such as the HELPline managed by Switchboard will need to change quickly and adapt to meet people's needs in the coming years. People are becoming less reliant on personal communication for information and instead turn to new forms of information search such as the Internet, database systems and social networking sites.