Federal Agency Cuts Off Funding for Suicide Hotline

News:

Public health advocates are desperately trying to raise funds to save 1-800-SUICIDE, the nation’s best-known suicide hotline, scheduled to be shut down at midnight tonight. The federal agency that funds the hotline says it decided to cut off its support; spokespeople for the hotline say that any government replacement can’t—or won’t—guarantee callers’ confidentiality, and that the government has owed them $266,00 for more than 2 years. Once the hotline goes dark, federal health officials hope to direct callers to their own replacement line, which will give them access to callers’ phone data. More information can be found at www.save1800suicide.org.

So let me get this straight.

So let me get this straight. This hotline has been having their bills paid by SAMHSA. However, the bills have not been getting paid for over 2 years. Instead of allocating the funds that were supposed to be used for paying the bills, they decided to use it to create their own hot line, that collects sensitive info on people calling in.

What purpose does it serve for SAMHSA to stop paying the bills, that they agreed to pay?

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?
-Ghandi

By AZwolfAugust 11, 2006 - 3:13pm