Hotline Staff

Key Tips for Service Providers

Gathering information

Trans survivors do not always share their gender identity immediately or at all. If a person does share that they are trans or nonbinary, this information might be helpful in determining referrals.  Hotline staff can proactively share with callers that their organization’s services are available to people of all genders. For example: “Thank you for letting me know. All of our services are available to people of all genders.”

If the staff is collecting information for an intake or paperwork, asking the caller’s pronouns is appropriate.

There are many reasons that survivors may not share their gender with a hotline advocate. Often it simply does not come up. In these situations, the staff can pay attention to their own language, to check that they are avoiding assumptions about a caller based on their voice. For example, this may include avoiding words like ma’am or sir, even though many people consider these words to be a sign of politeness.

Hotline staff can mirror the language that a caller uses to describe their situation. For example, if a caller says partner, use partner, not boyfriend or girlfriend when reflecting back to the client and in paperwork.

Hotline advocates may ask open-ended questions to help gather more information; this is true whether they know a survivor is transgender or not. For example, an advocate might ask, “is there anything else going on in your life that impacts your safety?” or “What sort of supports do you have in your life?” These questions will help an advocate safety plan with a survivor and find resources and may elicit information about a caller’s gender or other identities.

Additional examples of language around identity:

“To set up that appointment for you, I just need to gather some information. I want you to know that we do not need to see your ID or even use your legal name for this. If we do need that information for something specific – like helping you get government assistance, I will let you know. What name would you like us to use for you while you are here? What pronouns do you use?”

“When I transfer you to the shelter, what information would you like me to share with them?  I can share your name of use and pronouns if you’d like.  What else would you like me to convey to them?”

“What name and pronouns shall I use for you?

“I’m Jane. What name would you like me to call you?”

Confidentiality concerns

Many transgender survivors have experienced being “outed” without their permission. Explain confidentiality policies early in the conversation when appropriate, ask before sharing identifying information with referral agencies, and clarify what information is—and is not—required.

Many trans survivors worry about:

• Being outed
• Needing to share a name other than their affirmed name
• Family members overhearing
• Records of written documentation of appointments, and who might have access to this information
• Referrals and confidentiality about any information shared on the hotline that the caller does not wish for others to have.

Honoring the experience and emotions of the caller

The vast majority of trans/nonbinary people have experienced some form of anti-trans violence or discrimination, often multiple forms over their lifetimes. For some callers, these experiences will be part of what they are seeking support for. However, advocates should not assume that callers are upset or in distress about their trans identity. Advocates can acknowledge the injustice of anti-trans discrimination. They do not have to solve the problem, and often cannot, but can be present with the caller’s feelings and experiences, and offer safety planning or other forms of support, if the caller wants them.

Callers may also be angry. This anger can be directed at the hotline, at other service providers, at the abuser, or at others. Because trans people experience microaggressions frequently, they may be angry at one incident, that can seem small to others. However, the one incident is often made worse by all of the other similar events in the person’s life. Recognizing this can help an advocate to stay calm and acknowledge the anger without feeling defensive.

Microaggressions are the subtle ways in which body and verbal language convey oppressive ideology about power or privilege against marginalized identities.

Often survivors of all genders say they just want someone to listen. Listening to the caller and providing space for them to share what has happened in their life can be very helpful. Advocates often want to solve problems or find resources. While this is useful, the time and space for listening and sharing should not be cut short in order to make referrals. Trans survivors often express that they are not believed by other people about their experiences. Having an advocate listen and believe them can be impactful.

Key reminders of how advocates can honor trans survivors experiences and emotions:

• Believe survivors
• Validate emotions
• Acknowledge injustice
• Avoid minimizing
• Tolerate silence.

Safety Planning

Safety planning is an ongoing, collaborative conversation rather than a checklist. The survivor is the expert on their own circumstances, and advocates can help explore options without directing decisions.

Safety planning is done with a survivor. Advocates can share ideas and help brainstorming. With transgender survivors, the survivor’s safety related to anti-trans violence may be a part of the safety plan. Throughout safety planning, check with the survivor about what they have already tried, what they feel like would work and wouldn’t work.

Resource sharing

Hotline advocates help callers to connect to their organization’s services and provide referrals to other organizations. When sharing resources, advocates can share information about the eligibility requirements of the services. This may include if services require identification or are only open to certain people (such as women, people who are sober, people who will attend a prayer service, etc.).

Being transparent about eligibility requirements allows callers to make informed decisions and can reduce the likelihood of another harmful or rejecting experience.

If an advocate knows that a caller is transgender, they may share information about trans-affirming or inclusive services. “This organization works regularly with transgender people.” Or “this support group is for all genders.”  Advocates can also ask the caller if they have any questions or want additional information about any of the referrals to help provide the most useful details.

Working together for next steps

Survivors may find it helpful to review next steps or any plans that were made at the end of the call. This can help a caller to remember what was discussed, which is helpful as people experiencing trauma may have a harder time following conversations and remembering plans. This is also beneficial because it can provide a chance to check to see if anything was missed.

For trans/nonbinary survivors, it can be beneficial to remind them that they can call back anytime (assuming this is true for the hotline), and that services are available to them. Because of the frequency of trans people being turned away from services, the open and honest reminders of service accessibility may be appreciated and beneficial.

Ending the call

Every hotline conversation is an opportunity to help a survivor feel heard, respected, and safer than when they first called. For trans and nonbinary survivors—many of whom have experienced rejection from helping systems—a single affirming conversation can rebuild trust, reduce isolation, and open the door to future support. Even when advocates cannot solve every problem, listening with respect, believing survivors, and providing honest information can have a lasting impact.

Hotline policies to benefit trans/nonbinary survivors

The following policies can benefit trans/nonbinary survivors.

• All staff receive training on affirming practices and transgender resources
  • Trans/nonbinary survivor experiences are a part of fundamental, basic training for all hotline staff/volunteers.
  • Advocacy skills are modeled and demonstrated in gender-inclusive ways.
• The hotline shall be staffed adequately to allow for longer call times.
  • If hotline advocates feel rushed on calls due to call volume, consider increasing the number of people answering phones at a given time. This may require seeking additional funding.
• Include information about trans-affirming practices of referrals
  • Maintain updated information about affirming providers that have been vetted by staff and community members
  • Clearly document eligibility requirements
• Ensure staff clearly understand eligibility requirements for services
  • If services are determined by gender; ensure that services are available to trans/nonbinary people and train staff on how to explain eligibility respectfully
• Have screening practices that help survivors get access to services
  • Assess the barriers that exist to accessing services and work to lower those. For example, survivors are often excluded from services for not being sober, for being transgender, or for having a criminal record. Reconsider these exclusions so that all survivors can access services.
• Be aware of opportunities for continued improvement
  • Collect feedback from clients about their hotline experiences. This can be difficult due to the anonymous nature of most hotlines, but requesting feedback and enabling people to provide comments will help continued growth to meet the needs of survivors.
  • Review complaints and barriers. Create plans to address them.
  • Update policies and practices regularly.

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