Essential Internet resources

By: Tom Cloyd - 6 min. read (Published: 2023-02-18; reviewed: 2024-03-24)

woman using laptop

Photo by Windows on Unsplash

 

 

The emergence of the world-wide Internet in the past 30 years has utterly transformed communication for all who have access to it and know how to use it. At the same time, it presents many people with a serious problem: how to tell reliable information from unreliable and clearly erroneous information. When one’s need for information is urgent, this problem is all the more critical.

On this page you will find resources that have been rigorously screened for reliability - as much as this is possible. The final screening must be done by the individual information seeker. Blind trust is never advised. Be cautious and thoughtful in considering any information offered to you by someone else, regardless of their intentions or reputation.

One needs also to be persistent in seeking solutions to problems. Success in problem-solving very often is simply a matter of not giving up. Solutions can appear in unexpected places, but only if one keeps looking.

 

 

Contents of this page…

Children ^

  • IMPORTANT: -
    • If you know or suspect that a child is in danger, call 911 (in the USA) immediately. Let professionals assess the situation and take action, if needed.
    • If you are reporting YOUR child as missing, after calling 911, call NCME (next entry) for further assistance:
  • National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCME) - Call 1-800-843-5678.
  • Missing child state clearinghouses - Every state in the USA has a missing persons clearinghouse that may be able to offer additional assistance.
  • CyberTipline - NCMEC’s CyberTipline is the USA’s centralized system for reporting the online exploitation of children. Report here any “…suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet.”
  • Elder abuse - description by National Institute on Aging - Excellent overview of the problem, its effects, and who’s vulnerable
  • Reporting elder abuse
    • If you know or suspect that someone is in danger, call 911 (in the USA) immediately. Let professionals assess the situation and take action, if needed.
    • If you yourself are possibly a victim of elder abuse, tell your doctor, a friend, or a family member you trust, or call the Eldercare Locator help line immediately.
    • Eldercare Locator - call 1-800-677-1116 to speak with specially trained operators who will refer you to a local agency that can help. (The Eldercare Locator is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.)
    • Eldercare Locator on the WWW
    • National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) listing of elder abuse help and hotlines by state

“The laws in most states require helping professions in the front lines – such as doctors and home health providers – to report suspected abuse or neglect. These professionals are called mandated reporters.”

Domestic Violence - National Hotline ^

“The hotline” 1−800−799−SAFE (7233) - This exceptionally comprehensive service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, provides access to the following free, confidential services: * Crisis intervention * Domestic violence education * Safety planning * Caller connection directly to service providers, such as local shelters * Agency referrals to legal, economic self-sufficiency, sexual assault, elder abuse, children’s, and other related services

“Interpreter services are available by phone to assist in over 200 languages. The Hotline provides referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

StrongHearts Native Helpline - “A free, safe, confidential, and anonymous helpline for American Indian and Alaska Native victims of domestic and sexual violence. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it offers culturally appropriate support and advocacy including the following: * Crisis intervention * Information and education about domestic and sexual violence; health options * Safety planning * Referrals to Native-centered service providers * Information about jurisdiction and legal advocacy referrals

Drug/Medication information ^

Psychotherapist and Counselor Databases

We have also an entire article devoted to Finding a good therapist which you should look at.

  • Psychology Today therapist directory - probably the largest such directory, with listings grouped by state, city and zip code, as well as having separate listings for online therapists, psychiatrists, and treatment centers.

  • National Board for Certified Counselors database - NBCC counselors pass a national certification exam to qualify for this database. (Most counselors are not NBCC certified, but listings in this database may not be in other databases.)

  • EMDR Institute therapist directory - Counselors in this database have been trained by the Institute that originated the best-validated trauma treatment model in existence. They may be located by region, as with other databases. (Listings here are limited - see this note1 for more on this.)

  • EMDRIA Therapist Directory - Counselors in this database are fully EMDR trained and are members of the EMDR International Association, which is a primary source for training and continuing education of trauma therapists.

  • ISSTD Find-A-Therapist directory - In theory, this should be a good place to locate a dissociative disorders specialist. In actuality, this directory probably works best in the largest cities and states, because membership in ISSTD most certainly does not include many therapists who work with dissociative disorders. In addition, a significant number of directory members are not therapists at all. Still, this resource should not be overlooked, as it is a valid source of people with serious commitments to working in this field.

  • What to do if you think someone may be suicidal - An excellent overview of how to handle this challenging situation.
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - call, text, or chat 988) - “988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), and is now active across the United States. When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors [who]…will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.”
  • 988 Lifeline services available in Spanish, along with interpretation services in over 250 languages. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, and TTY users, use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Helpline ^

SAMHSA’s National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357 - “A confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.”

  1. Quality EMDR training is offered by sources in addition to the EMDR Institute and EMDRIA. Individuals graduating from such sources will likely not be listed in either of these directories and must be found by other means. ^

 

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