Advocates for maintaining and improving Social Security and fighting cuts in the program by the Trump administration are horrified by news that some seniors and others calling about their benefits have been told by the person answering the phone that “suicide is one option.”
That incredible news was shared online by Michael Phelan of Social Security Works, an organization which has long fought for better benefits and against cuts to the program. Phelan reports this is happening as a result of shifts in assignments: People whose usual work is payment processing are now answering phone calls from benefit recipients and people eligible for benefits. As part of the job switch, those reassigned to the phones receive a three-hour training program that apparently includes among its instructions the message about suicide.
He cites a report in the publication Government Executive that was released last Friday. The last day of the workweek has long been known as the “news dump,” a time when bad news is released with the idea that it will fly under the radar since millions are shifting into thinking about what they have to do for the weekend.
“I always knew that we should expect anything from this administration,” Phelan said in a statement. “But this is worse than anything I expected. I am horrified.” He said his organization is reaching out to contacts in the Social Security Administration and getting the word out to the media and anyone else who can help put pressure on to stop the practice.
The original report in Government Executive notes that “swaths of employees have been transferred to the job of answering phone calls.” Those workers, the report notes, are ones who normally process payments and do other work that does not require interaction with the public. They have received only a three-hour training session before starting phone duty.
Suicidal ideation is sometimes expressed by callers who, for one reason or another, are facing problems of daily life and now more frequently problems with their benefits. Rather than receiving the kind of training that would gently try to transfer such callers to competent mental health professionals who could help them with their problems, they were told to tell such callers that “suicide is only one option.” They then go on to give them information about their benefits, which often does not address the problems they are calling about.
As part of their training, the report in Government Executive says, some callers may express suicidal ideation, and it gives examples using a theoretical employee named Fiona.
“It’s important for Fiona to keep the caller engaged and to remind her that suicide is only one option,” the trainer tells the workers in a video. The Government Executive has a copy of the video, it says. Workers receiving the training were shocked and asked for clarification.
According to Government Executive, Caitlin Thompson, who worked for the Veterans’ Affairs Department, which runs hotlines for people in crisis, said, “No, it’s not the thing to say to someone in crisis who might be suicidal. It’s not the normal thing to say, it’s not the thing to say to someone who might be suicidal.”
In addition to training phone answerers to properly refer potential problem cases, a major step in the right direction, advocates for maintaining good Social Security benefits say, would be beefing up, not cutting, the number of workers processing benefits and stopping attacks on the benefits people have earned from a lifetime of working.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call or text 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.
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