1-800-Externship: The Use of Hotlines as a Training Modality for Future Clinicians

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Counseling Training

Background:

• Rising mental health concerns on college campuses.
• Limited accessibility of traditional counseling services (e.g., business hours, clinician availability).
• Potential of hotlines for suicide prevention and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively examine the benefits and challenges of using hotlines as a clinical training modality for graduate counseling students.
• To understand the impact of hotline volunteering on student development.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research approach.
• Consensual qualitative research methodology.
• Interviews with nine graduate students volunteering at a hotline.

Main Results:

• Identified domains related to initial involvement, the volunteering experience, and the connection to clinical development.
• Volunteering provided practical clinical experience and skill development.
• Participants reported personal and professional growth through hotline work.

Conclusions:

• Hotlines serve as an effective clinical training modality for graduate counseling students.
• This training benefits the community by providing essential mental health support.
• Hotlines contribute to the development of competent future clinicians.