The time-limited hot line

Although long-term hot lines that focus on crisis intervention will undoubtedly dominate as an organizational model, time-limited approaches will be used with increasing frequency. The primary impetus behind their proliferation is the increasing visibility of the electronic media, particularly television, in investigating and reporting pressing health, mental health, and human services problems. As the mass media increasingly produces special reports, documentaries, and docudramas directed toward social problems and issues, local health and human services agencies will become increasingly motivated to provide a forum for public response. The time-limited issue- or problem-oriented hot line is the ideal vehicle for public response as well as for extending the human services network. This type of hot line also offers social workers a unique opportunity to share important mental health information through the media.