History
Dial Help Community Support and Outreach Center, is located in historic Houghton, MI in the heart of the Keweenaw (affectionately known as the the Copper Country) at the top of Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula.
Today, Dial Help Community Support and Outreach Center is a licensed substance abuse prevention center providing Crisis Intervention, Counseling Services, Family Support Services, Victim Assistance Services, Specialized Community Education, and Substance Abuse Prevention Services.
Established in 1971, Dial Help is one of only a handful of independent crisis centers in the state and the only one located in Michigan’s 16,000 square mile Upper Peninsula. A non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation managened by a Board of Directors.
A group of local citizens concerned about drug abuse problems can be credited as the founders of the first crisis line in the Copper Country. Dial Drug, Inc., the forerunner to Dial Help, was established in January 1971, with the crisis line starting operation in September of that year. Dealing mainly with drug crises, Dial Drug and its crisis line 482-DRUG, were utilized primarily by high school and college students. At that time, the crisis line was staffed entirely with volunteers and financially backed through private donations and community fund-raising events.
Dial Drug received its initial state support from the Michigan Department of Mental Health in 1973. As time went by, with increased demand for services and the realization that alcohol and drug abuse are symptomatic of a larger problem, the agency changed its name to Dial Help. In 1974, services were expanded to implement substance abuse prevention programs in area schools. In 1981, in response to sexual assault victims and their families/significant others, a Rape Victim Support Team, funded through a government grant, was developed. Ten years later, in 1991, the Michigan Crime Victims Services Commission expanded the program to include victimization of all types.
Over the years, Dial Help has transformed from an all-volunteer organization to an agency which, while still reliant upon volunteer assistance, maintains a professional staff. In 1999, Dial Help purchased a building in downtown Houghton, increasing visibility and adding walk-in access to clients.
