A phone line worker or volunteer answers your call. The call is confidential between you and the person you are talking to. One exception is when calls relate to someone hurting you or to you hurting yourself. In this instance, the fact that you called tells us you are reaching out for help. The TALKLINE volunteer will ask you for identifying information so we can get assistance to you.

People who answer the phone at BerksTALKLINE are ready to listen to what you have to say. We offer you the opportunity to speak to someone during those times when family, friends, teachers, or counselors are not available to talk -- or, when you'd rather nobody else know about your situation.

No one will judge you or tell you what to do. Instead, we will help you decide what you think will work for you.

What We Can Do

• Listen
• Allow you to vent
• Offer support
• Help you come up with ideas of what you feel will work for you
• Help you develop a plan
• Connect you to many resources in our community where you can get  specific, professional support

What We Cannot Do

• Give advice
  What might work for us might not work for you.
• Make a judgment of right or wrong for you
  Since we are not in your shoes, TALKLINE's philosophy is to help you identify pros and cons; look at alternatives; think about consequences.
• Share personal information about ourselves
  Calls are confidential between people who call and people who work at TALKLINE.

How We Can Help

• It is proven that talking out a problem allows an individual to "hear themselves", sometimes for the first time.
• Thousands of individuals who have called have told us they felt better after having the opportunity to talk to someone and "test the waters".
• TALKLINE assists people in learning conflict resolution and problem solving skills.
• We connect people to community resources.

How does a worker know if the caller is serious about a situation?

All calls are taken seriously. Workers are not judgmental nor do they tell people what to do.

Do you follow up on calls?

No. We are not counselors or caseworkers. Follow up with a school occurs in cases of abuse or suicide if we are not able to intervene with the appropriate community resource because of lack of information. Occasionally we will hear back from a referral source, confidentially, without a name being used, just to let us know that services were instituted.

Are all the reasons for calls serious?

No. Actually many people just call for someone to talk to. Some are happy; some kids need help with homework; many are lonely or stressed. Some call back to let us know what has happened. Others we don’t hear from again.

How old are the callers?

They youngest caller to date has been 3, and the oldest was 93.

How long do calls last?

Calls can last from 1 minute to hours in a crisis situation, if needed. Calls from kids usually last 5-25 minutes; whereas calls from adults can last an hour.

Who supervises the phone line workers?

A staff supervisor is always there with phone line workers and is the individual to intervene in crisis situations.

Is BerksTALKLINE open 24 hours a day?

Currently the phone lines are open 11 am - 11 pm, seven days a week, excluding holidays.

How and why did BerksTALKLINE start?

Read about our History.

Why should people call a stranger about their problems?

Sometimes is it easier to "test the waters" over a phone with someone who does not know you and will not form a judgment or opinion about what you are saying. Our role is not to take the place of a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend, but to offer an individual the opportunity to speak to someone during those hours or times when someone else may not be available, or at moments when they wish to speak anonymously.