Hatzolah members are trained to react to both emotional and physical medical conditions. Volunteers are very caring and if one you speak to does not know what to do, all they have to do is get another more experienced member in their location to deal with it. They are very discreet and are obliged to keep an oath of confidentiality.
So the advantages of speaking to a Hatzolah member is that if you can get someone who lives near her, he can meet up with her and just tell her that he is a hatzolah member and she can talk to him or call him any time she feels depressed or suicidal and he will listen to her, or he can give her the number of a help line she can call so she won’t feel alone and will always have someone to listen to her that will be completely anonymous. In that way she won’t feel that she has to hold everything inside and she won’t have to tell anyone who she is. But the fact that she is so depressed and wants to disassociate herself from reality really makes me worry. Maybe he can give her the local Hatzola number and they can send someone to meet her in the Pizza store or wherever without lights and sirens and then they can determine if she needs to go to the hospital or not, or if they can recommend someone for her to talk to. Also there are paramedics in Hatzolah and in many neighborhoods there are even doctors who volunteer for Hatzola.
Purplicious, everyone needs a support system. By making such a connection for her you are giving her a lifeline. You are telling your friend “I love you and I care about you, but your problems and issues are way over my head and way more than someone my age knows how to deal with. This is my suggestion…Hatzolah members are bound by confidentiality. If you reach out to them you will know that you have some form of support and maybe they can direct you to someone that can help you or help you figure out how to find answers to your questions. They have tons of resources. At the very least it gives you a lifeline to hold on to so I know that you are connected to someone who will care about you and will keep you safe and alive.” The entire Hatzola organization is about saving lives. So again I would suggest that you research this and see if it would be an option for your friend. Do you know anyone in Hatzolah?