Overview of the
Upper Room Crisis Hotline

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The Upper Room Crisis Hotline (TURCH) is a unique ministry in the Catholic tradition with the mission to humbly attempt to emulate Christ through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in serving all callers from around the world to the hotline, regardless of their background and needs.

 

This mission serves as the foundation for the hotline and is reinforced throughout the training program and continued by phone counselors serving on the hotline. In March of 2007, the Upper Room Crisis Hotline was incorporated in the State of Illinois, and received
registration as a 501(c)3 private not-for-profit status.

 

TURCH was founded by Sister Mary Frances Seeley, OSF, Ph.D., and opened for service in January of 2008. Sister Mary Frances continues to serve as the President on the Board of Directors and Special Advisor to TURCH. TURCH is staffed totally by very dedicated and spiritually compassionate volunteers, including the board of directors, administrators, office support staff, phone counselors, and priests.

 

The hotline is supported financially by individual donors, small business donors, and small grants. Originally, the hotline was designed to serve the clergy and religious, but due to the volume of calls and need from the general public, it was expanded by the board of directors to serve callers from all backgrounds in 2013. Based on current data, the Volunteer Phone Counselors receive approximately 700 calls per month from throughout the United States and 36 other countries to this point.

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The Upper Room Training Program

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Individuals who qualify to participate in the training program to prepare to serve on the hotline as phone counselors receive a comprehensive 8-week (16-session) training program from highly qualified, credentialed instructors with extensive experience in mental health, education, theology, and other areas. The curriculum incorporates training in communication and reflective listening, mental health
disorders, substance disorders, suicide prevention and bereavement, sexuality and relationships, spirituality and prayer, non-directive therapy approaches, understanding the challenges of first responders, their families, and other priority group areas to prepare participants for the hotline. Phone counselors are also provided monthly in-service meetings conducted remotely, where they can share, support each other, and receive continued education covering topics relevant to implementation and ensuring quality services on the hotline.

 

Upper Room Expansion

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The Upper Room Training Program has been conducted remotely since 2019 so that students are now able to participate from anywhere in the world, which has greatly expanded the opportunity to recruit quality phone counselors from across the United States, Canada, and other countries.
 

In April of 2019, TURCH also implemented a new phone system that made it possible for phone counselors to begin receiving hotline calls directly to their personal cell phones in addition to receiving calls at our Upper Room Line Center. This has made it possible for individuals who qualify from throughout the United States and other countries to join the Upper Room as phone counselors.

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Upper Room Programs and Services

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Individuals from all backgrounds are welcomed and received with open arms when they call The Upper Room Crisis Hotline (TURCH). It is easily accessible, provides confidentiality with personal information, is cost-free, and is available when the caller is in need of support.

 

TURCH is unique in that it provides all of the above advantages in addition to spiritual support in the Catholic tradition and outreach
services with extended support for callers. The callers to TURCH reflect a
microcosm of societal challenges. There are many callers diagnosed with mental illness who are being treated with regular counseling and medication, but continue to call the hotline for ongoing compassionate human contact and support.

The Upper Room mission and training are demonstrated by the behavior of phone counselors reflecting 7 pillars of caring support incorporated in the services provided through the hotline, including: spiritual support and prayer, focused and reflective listening, empathy, compassion, non-judgement, affirmation, and patience. The callers to the hotline take the lead in the discussion, and the phone counselors serve as facilitators to respond to the callers’ needs. This approach creates a safe and welcoming environment where callers are received and accepted just as they are. This open and supportive human contact with callers conveys a message of undivided attention, interest, and care.

 

Phone counselors are also trained to respond to callers at-risk for suicide or other crises to provide immediate support, intervention, and offer a wide range of referrals for additional support services.

 

Upper Room Mission

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Emulate Christ Through the Guidance of the Holy Spirit (Pillars of Support)

• Spiritual Support and Prayer

• Focused & Reflective Listening

• Empathy

• Compassion

• Non-judgment

• Affirmation

• Patience

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There are TURCH services that provide unique extended care as an outreach to callers that require additional support.

 

1. The Sunshine Program and Extended Caller Support Program offer regular calls initiated by Phone Counselors at agreed
   upon days and times to callers who require ongoing contact and support. The Sunshine Program provides a daily wellness check call initiated by a phone counselor for retired clergy. The Extended Caller Support Program provides regular contact initiated by the same phone counselors every week for an hour or more for callers experiencing a significantly challenging period in their lives, 
   such as the death of a family member, ongoing isolation without support, etc. Over the last 5 years, 15 callers have received the Extended Caller Support in locations across the United States, Sweden and the Philippines.

2. Another important component of the TURCH Ministry is the “Priest/Deacons on Call Program.” When callers call the hotline and request to speak to a priest/deacon, their name and phone number are provided by the caller, and a priest will call them generally within the same day. 
   Many of the callers to TURCH are specifically seeking spiritual support, prayer, and have faith-based questions, and priests are prepared to provide consultation and prayer. Priests/Deacons respond to approximately 40 caller requests per month. In addition to the above outreach services, approximately 140-150 emails are received and responded to monthly. Ongoing support is provided through regular email exchanges for a limited number of individuals who require this extended assistance.