a helpline and a crisis line are the same thing. its just that some locations call it help line and others call it a crisis line....

what to expect...well here in NY a crisisline/helpline is where there are trained volunteers that answer the phone. most are not actual therapists but some do have mental health background...

example here we have a psychiatrist or therapist on call and its the volunteers that answer the calls. they talk with you about what ever you want to talk with them about. I have called for many reasons..couldnt sleep, needed help figuring out a problem, suicidal all kinds of reasons..

here if a caller is making threats of harm to their self or others we have to call the police and the on call psychiatrist. if the person is a danger to their self or others we trace the call and the police go out on a well check call where they go to the persons home and assess whether the call is a prank or whether the person is in danger/crisis mode. they transport the person to the hospital where they are assessed again and placed on a "hold" in the ER. if the person is not a danger to their self or others they are released to go home. if they are a danger to their self or others they are held for 72 hours for a more in depth evaluation.

most callers I have dealt with have been mostly people who just needed someone to talk to, help them get through the night.