FAQs

What will happen when I call?

 

If you’re thinking about calling The Spark, you’re ready to start talking about some difficult things, some of which you may never have shared with anyone before. It can feel really intimidating to make the call and talk to someone you don’t know. We promise you that your courage in picking up the phone and making the call will be worthwhile and you’ll leave feeling better about yourself and your situation.

 

When you call, a responder will answer in a way that sounds something like the following: “Hi there, thank you for calling The Spark. This is a confidential and anonymous line, so you do not need to identify yourself. How are you today?” The voice may be male or female but whoever you speak to will treat you with respect and dignity and will give you the time you need to find your footing in the conversation. 

 

What if I don’t know what to say or how to describe what’s going on?

 

We don’t expect you to know exactly what to say upon calling. It’s hard to talk about things that affect us emotionally so it may take some time to say what needs to be said. We’ll ask you what’s going on and you can tell us what is on your mind at the moment. It may be something that just happened, or what you’re feeling at that moment, or what you are hoping to change in your life. It doesn’t even need to make sense. If we don’t understand what you’re sharing with us, we’ll continue to ask questions and support you until you feel like you’ve been able to share everything you need to share. From there, we’ll work with you to assess how we can help you get to a better place and become a safer partner (or parent, friend, etc.).

 

What if I’ve done something really bad? Will you call the cops?

 

If you’ve done something that has caused harm to another person and you need emergency services, please call 911 or some other resource or person that will be able to assist you in a crisis. If it is NOT a crisis and you don’t want to involve the police or other services, you can talk to one of our responders anonymously. The responder can help you process your thoughts and hold space for your emotions. They can also help you determine what you can do to take care of yourself and how you can take accountability for and repair the damage you’ve caused. The Spark is a resource to support you to prevent a crisis or to repair and understand the harm after a crisis. 

 

NOTE: It’s important that you maintain anonymity when you’re on the line. The Spark is a confidential and anonymous helpline but responders are mandated reporters and are legally bound to report crimes in which a child has been harmed. If you report a crime in which you have harmed a child AND have provided identifying information, the responder is required to report the crime.