Need support now?
We are your local 988 lifeline.
Be the voice of hope.
Volunteers are the heart of our agency. By giving your time, you can provide a compassionate, listening ear to someone in their moment of greatest need.
No experience is necessary—we provide all the training you need to save lives and support your community.
“My work at CSS has impacted my life in many ways. I've become a better listener, identified some areas of improvement in my own communication style, and I feel that my empathy has been strengthened.”
— Chloe D., Phone Counselor
Why Volunteer on the 988 Lifeline?
No experience necessary
We have an extensive, 90-hour training program to prepare you to take calls and texts with confidence.
Gain invaluable skills
You will learn active listening, crisis counseling, and suicide prevention skills that are valuable in all areas of life.
Join a supportive community
Our training and volunteer cohorts are supportive spaces where you will learn from each other's experiences.
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This is our greatest volunteer need. As a crisis line phone counselor, you will directly support community suicide prevention and crisis response by answering calls and texts.
Time Commitment: We ask for a minimum of 60 total shifts, working one 4-hour shift per week. This 60-shift commitment includes your on-shift training time .
Training: Our training lasts approximately 2 months and includes in-class lectures, role play/skills practice, and one-on-one training with a trainer on the lines.
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Support our work by volunteering at events, helping with administrative tasks around the office, or doing skilled work from home. Complete our interest form to get started.
Our Volunteer Opportunities
988 Volunteer FAQs
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Yes, we accept applications year-round. Training cohorts often fill up quickly, and we close interviews one month before the start date of any cohort, so consider submitting your application as soon as possible.
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Volunteers should be empathetic, able to connect with others, and culturally responsive. You must be able to navigate multiple web-based platforms and work in a fast-paced environment. We are looking for a diverse range of volunteers from a variety of backgrounds.
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The training lasts for approximately 2 months. It consists of three parts: in-office trainings and discussion, role play and skills practice, and one-on-one training with a trainer on the lines.
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You may volunteer remotely only if you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, have a private space to volunteer from, have reliable internet, and can uphold our confidentiality requirements.
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Yes, our minimum age requirement is 18 years or older.
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We strongly suggest that callers of our crisis line consider volunteering with a different crisis line in the area so that they can maintain the use of our services. We require that all volunteers have at least one year without calling us before applying.
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Yes, but our internship program is separate from crisis line (or other) volunteering. Our interns are graduate and doctoral students obtaining hours for licensure and graduation requirements. You can find info about internships on our Join Our Team page.
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We review these requests on a case-by-case basis. You must be willing to commit to one year of volunteering.
