Help in Crisis

Last weekend I experienced the straw that broke the camel’s back. After seven months of unemployment (in spite of my excellent skills), the inevitable destitution, and an intolerable apartment building with an unresponsive building management company, I broke down. The cumulative effects of my life’s disasters took their toll and I was unable to contain my hysteria for several hours.

I picked up the yellow pages. I found exactly four listings under Crisis Intervention Service. I called each listing and got one answering service and three voice mails. I left word with the answering service. No one called me back. Ever.

Now, granted it was a Saturday, but I needed help immediately. I kept wondering, what if I had been suicidal? I would be dead right now. This is crisis intervention? What good are those “public services” if no one services the public? Who do we go to to fix this, before someone dies unnecessarily?

NANCE PARRY

Montrose