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Eastern Long Island Hotline Connects Residents With Crisis Counseling

Courtesy of Pixabay

A new hotline has been created to help residents in eastern Long Island access crisis counseling. The number is targeted to help non-English speakers ease through the pandemic, but is open to all residents.

It’s thanks to a grant the Organizacion Latino Americana (OLA) of Eastern Long Island received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to create a local number for the New York State Project Hope initiative for crisis counseling. Minerva Perez, OLA’s executive director, said Suffolk County qualified for a federal disaster program because of the high number of COVID-19 deaths and infection rates.

“What OLA’s been able to do because of the contacts that we have is to create a very active resource list so that if someone is in need of a particular type of support we have referrals and direct connections to a lot of the work happening on the East End to be able to help them,” Perez said.

Residents can call 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. for free confidential crisis counseling at (631) 500-0837.

Before OLA became a partner in the crisis hotline program, callers had to wait for as long as 20 minutes before a Spanish or Portuguese speaking counselor answered the phone.

OLA provides counselors that speak English, Spanish and Portuguese, among other languages, to residents that need help navigating the ongoing pandemic, especially to those who are non-English speakers. Counselors are trained through the statewide program.

Perez said the program has support from regional police departments — in the five eastern Long Island towns. She said police are handing out Project Hope business cards to people they encounter who are having “a rough day.” Police also connect residents who are unsafe or can call if they are feeling alone.

“This is a way to connect the dots of crisis in our community to support,” Perez said. “It’s a baby step in some ways and in other ways it's a life saving step because some people believe they are alone.”

Perez said the organization plans to continue the program after the initial funding dries up.

“OLA’s commitment to mental and emotional health and wellbeing is of our entire East End and not just Latinos.” Perez said. “We have found that our roles on the East End have been beneficial that go way beyond a Latino focus."

OLA has been providing similar services through Meals-on-Wheels for elderly residents. The organization has set up volunteer food delivery service for families experiencing food insecurity and has served 100 families with 30 volunteers. They also are working with local stores to create a food card/gift card program so no one goes hungry.

Eastern Long Island residents can reach the New York State Project Hope hotline by phone at (631) 500-0837, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The call is confidential, anonymous and free. Counselors are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, among other languages through OLA of Eastern Long Island.