Texas Runaway Hotline

The Texas Runaway Hotline is a 24 hour, 7 day per week crisis hotline for children, teens and parents. The Hotlines primary mission is to keep families together and to rescue runaways from the streets. Hotline counselors provide empathetic listening, help callers identify the elements of their problem, assist the caller in making a plan and provide referrals to resources in the caller’s community.

Description:
Volunteers work as Telephone Crisis Counselors after completing a class on procedures and effective counseling and completing an observation practicum requirement. After completing classroom and practicum requirements volunteers work directly with children, teens and parents who are in crisis.

History:
The Runaway Hotline began operating following the discovery of the bodies of 27 young teenagers in the Houston area in August 1973. Originally named "Operation Peace of Mind", the Hotline was located in Houston where it was operated by community volunteers and served as a message relay service to runaways and their families.
In August 1979, Operation Peace of Mind was renamed the Runaway Hotline. In 1983, the Hotline was moved to its current headquarters in Austin. Today, a team of experienced and dedicated volunteers provides a number of services at the Hotline, which is now called the Texas Runaway Hotline.
In December 1998, Hotline staff and volunteers opened a second hotline named the “Texas Youth Hotline.” The new Hotline’s purpose is to reach youth and families who face a variety of problems including family conflicts, delinquency, truancy and abuse and neglect issues.

Contact person: Ward Kirkpatrick, Volunteer Coordinator, (512) 929-6877, (email)

Office fax number: (512) 339-5894

Address:

P. O. Box 149030 Mail Code Y-987 Austin, TX 78714-9030

Web Site: http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/Runaway_hotline/runaway.asp

Last updated on April 14, 2009