By Hector Flores
The county Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction selected the center to run the hotline. John Imhof, the department¹s commissioner, said, "A drug and alcohol emergency can occur at any time, and this organization is the best qualified to handle a 24-hour, seven-day emergency hotline."
The hotline will serve as a direct link to county agencies and hospitals that provide emergency assessment, treatment and prevention services for residents in need.
Linda Leonard, the center's executive director, said that her organization has provided crisis-intervention services for 34 years, and has earned a reputation as a national model of community service. "The center is able to deliver a highly cost-effective service for the county," she said. "Our volunteers are highly skilled, with over 250 hours of training. In addition, the Nassau County Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction visited us and provided additional training."
The center currently provides counseling for depression, family communication, sexual identity issues, substance abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, eating disorders, sexual assault, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, suicide prevention and runaway assistance.
The Nassau County Drug and Alcohol Hotline is available by calling (516) 481-4000. For more information about the services available at the Long Island Crisis Center, call (516) 826-0244.
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
