1-800-Externship: The Use of Hotlines as a Training Modality for Future Clinicians

Mental health on college campuses is a growing issue. Despite a rise in demand for services, counseling centers generally offer assistance during business hours, with a limited number of clinicians. Hotlines can provide an avenue for suicide prevention and intervention while offering training to graduate counseling students. The present study used a qualitative approach to examine the benefits and challenges of using hotlines as a clinical training modality. Interviews with nine graduate students volunteering at a hotline were analyzed using a consensual qualitative research methodology. Several domains were identified, including: three domains related to initial involvement with a clinical training experience at a hotline, four related to the experience of volunteering, and five related to the connection of the clinical training experience to the participant’s development as a clinician. Hotlines as a training modality can be used to benefit the community and contribute to the development of future clinicians.