By Stephen C. Schultz
The other day, a colleague poked his head into my office and said,
“Man… Schultz, you are good on the phone.”
I laughed and replied,
“Thanks—just don’t let that get around. I don’t need the mockery that would follow.”
That brief exchange stayed with me. Our organization is growing, and we’ve been interviewing therapists and admissions directors across multiple programs. It raised an important question: What does it really mean to be good on the phone—and can that skill be taught in a way that aligns with clinical and trauma-informed values?
After more than 25 years in mental healthcare—across clinical services, admissions, administration, marketing, and even a stint in advertising—I’ve learned this: families don’t call because they’re ready. They call because they’re overwhelmed. Being “good on the phone” is less about persuasion and far more about safety, attunement, and clarity.
A Trauma-Informed Framework for Intake Conversations
Key Definitions
Need
A client’s expressed desire for relief, stability, or change
Opportunity
A problem described by the caller that signals distress or unmet support
Feature
A therapeutic, academic, or residential aspect of your program
Benefit
How that feature reduces distress, increases safety, or restores functioning
Core Assessment Skills (Through a Trauma Lens)
Probing
Gently gathering information while pacing the conversation to avoid overwhelm
Supporting
Helping callers feel understood, validated, and not alone in their experience
Closing
Inviting the next step without pressure, urgency, or coercion
Trauma-informed conversations prioritize choice, collaboration, and emotional safety. The goal is not to extract information, but to create enough trust for it to emerge.
Hearing the Need Beneath the Words
During intake or admissions calls, needs often surface as statements like:
“We don’t know what else to do.”
“Things feel out of control.”
“Our family can’t keep going like this.”
“We’re scared about what happens next.”
These are not just requests for information—they are signals of dysregulation. Families may be anxious, ashamed, fearful, or emotionally exhausted. A trauma-informed response listens not only to what is said, but to what is happening internally for the caller.
Recognizing Opportunities Without Pathologizing
Callers often present with multiple concerns: school failure, behavioral escalation, family conflict, or safety issues. These descriptions represent opportunities for support, not diagnostic conclusions.
From a trauma-informed perspective, it’s important to avoid rushing toward solutions or framing the family as “broken.” Most families call at the point where their coping strategies have been exhausted—not because they’ve failed, but because the situation has exceeded their capacity.
Skillful probing helps identify the primary concern that prompted the call, while honoring the broader context of stress and trauma surrounding the family.
Translating Features Into Felt Safety
Clinicians and admissions professionals often understand intuitively how program features meet client needs. Families, however, may not be able to process complex information while in crisis.
Trauma-informed communication requires translating features into benefits that answer implicit questions such as:
Will my child be safe?
Will we be judged?
Will anyone actually understand what we’re dealing with?
Is there hope without shame?
It’s not about listing services—it’s about helping families feel how those services create containment, structure, and support.
Why This Matters
When conversations with families are trauma-informed, the dynamic naturally shifts from “shopping” to collaboration. The one on the phone is no longer a representative of a program, but a steady presence helping families make sense of chaos.
For admissions folks, clinicians and administrators, being “good on the phone” is not a sales skill—it’s a clinical principle. It reflects the same principles used in the therapy room: attunement, curiosity, pacing, and respect for autonomy.
When we approach these conversations with compassion and clarity, we do more than gather information. We offer families their first experience of being met rather than managed.
And sometimes, that first experience is what makes everything else possible.
Comments