Since 1971, CONTACT Pittsburgh has provided 24-hour hot lines staffed by volunteers offering help to people calling anonymously about suicide, hate crimes, anxieties and other mental health issues.

But because of changes over how mental health crises are handled, shrinking foundation support and the growing difficulty of recruiting volunteers, the nonprofit organization may have to close.

The agency sent letters to its network of volunteers last week.

In part, the letter read: "After considering our options -- dissolve the organization, identify and explore partnerships/mergers with similar organizations, change our mission completely -- the CONTACT Pittsburgh board of directors has decided to make the recommendation to dissolve the organization and close our doors with dignity."

Although donations from individuals and through special events have increased in recent years, foundation money has dropped, said executive director Christy Stuber. She would not disclose the organization's annual operating budget.

Membership includes more than 80 volunteers who have staffed the phone lines during the past fiscal year. After a series of informational meetings in the coming weeks, the board and its network of volunteers will vote at a special membership meeting June 29.

But even if the organization closes its doors, Ms. Stuber said the lifelines of support at the 24-hour facility will remain open indefinitely.

"We would not be closing immediately, and we will try to transition people to organizations that can contribute more of a continuum of care," Ms. Stuber said.

After management hired a consultant to perform an evaluation, it became clear that the growth of two similar services in Allegheny County has had an impact in the past five years on CONTACT Pittsburgh.

Peer Support and Advocacy Network's Warmline, opened in 2005, and UPMC's Re:solve Crisis Network, started in 2008, provide more holistic alternatives for callers. Although CONTACT Pittsburgh handles issues such as suicide, hate crimes and the concerns of veterans and young adults, it was established as an immediate, one-time response to crisis.

In 2009, CONTACT Pittsburgh received 15,653 calls, down from a 1995 high of 22,000 callers. Warmline drew 26,558 calls last year and Re:solve 64,418 calls. The newer services differ in that they offer follow-up care with access to trained counselors and can be linked to additional services.

"Some individual may only need one phone call, and we don't want to give the impression that that isn't important," said Re:solve's Jewel Denne, clinical administrator of ambulatory crisis services at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

"What we do at Re:solve is, when we're working with someone on the phone, part of what we're doing is trying to assess if they need further services."

The number of volunteer crisis line specialists at CONTACT Pittsburgh has decreased since 2000, and it has had to farm out some shifts to supporting agencies such as CONTACT Trumbull, in Ohio, or use paid staff members here.

In recent years, the Pittsburgh office has attempted to reach a wider group of potential volunteers through social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and YouTube.

In response to the 1994 US Airways crash in Hopewell, which killed all 132 aboard, CONTACT Pittsburgh also established an emergency hot line for special events. Activated by the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services, this "public inquiry" line was in service during the weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, and in the aftermath of the Ivan and Katrina hurricanes.

"The work we have done is important, and that's what I'm really, really proud of," Ms. Stuber said. "And in some form, it will continue."

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