Western Illinois University's Psychology Department is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the WIU Hotline call center. Hotline was founded at WIU in 1971, in response to the need for support services for a climbing suicide rate in McDonough County. It has evolved over the years to a nightly support line for students and community members of the western Illinois region and provides telephone and text support, crisis intervention, referrals, suicide prevention and general advocacy. WIU's Hotline is open for calls every day residence halls are open, from 7 p.m.-1 a.m.