International Council of Helplines is pleased to offer its members the following award and recognition opportunities.

Individual Crisis Helpline Worker Recognition Awards
In honor of years of service and dedication to crisis helpline work, International Council for Helplines offers recognition awards to helpline volunteers and paid staff.  All International Council for Helplines member organizations are eligible to participate in these recognition opportunities.  These awards are cause for celebration and highlight the work of individuals from our member organizations who make a positive difference in delivering emotional support helpline services.  The awards are:

• INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR HELPLINES BRONZE AWARD: 1,000 volunteer helpline hours or 10 years of service, volunteer or paid. This award is given in the spirit of Harvey Hook, a former CONTACT Volunteer from New Jersey.
• INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR HELPLINES SILVER AWARD:  2,500 volunteer helpline hours or 25 years of service, volunteer or paid. This award is given in the spirit of Mary Brown, a former CONTACT Volunteer from Texas.
• INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR HELPLINES GOLD AWARD:  5,000 volunteer helpline hours or 50 years of service, volunteer of paid. This award is given in the spirit of Hernando Palmer, a former CONTACT Volunteer from Pennsylvania.

The bronze, silver and gold awards are mailed to member organizations quarterly (January, April, July, and October) upon receipt of the names and number of hours or years served.  If an organization requires a certificate for a special event, the notification must be at least 3 weeks in advance. Remember that organizations must initiate the request for Hour Awards by submitting the names and hours served to International Council for Helplines here. 

Spirit of Contact Award
This award is presented annually at the National Crisis Centers Conference to volunteers or paid staff who have exhibited extraordinary dedication to the work of crisis helpline organizations.  We are pleased to announce that starting in 2019, there will be two awards presented – a paid staff recipient and a volunteer award.  The volunteer award is named in honor of Helen Farrell, a longtime volunteer who felt a passion for volunteers of crisis helplines.

Helpline Anniversary Awards
International Council for Helplines recognizes and honors helplines for achieving a milestone anniversary for years in service.  These awards are given annually based on anniversary dates and recipient member organizations are honored by receiving a commemorative plaque and announced in the International Council for Helplines Annual Report.