I’m a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I am a practicing physician at Yale University. I can’t speak regarding what is factual and what is not in the recent story by Michael Rezendes in The Associated Press. However, my experience with the “help line” does not mirror its characterization in the article.
Unfortunately, about a dozen times, I’ve had to report abuse either in my role as a bishop or as a psychiatrist.
In my experience, the help line has been extremely responsive and helpful as I try and think through how to manage some very difficult and tragic situations. Every time I have called, I have been able to speak with someone knowledgeable about local reporting laws within a few minutes, even at midnight.
On a few occasions, I have called the state authorities directly to report abuse (either in my capacity as a bishop or a physician). On one occasion, I remember waiting for over an hour before I spoke to anyone. When I finally did speak with someone, he told me that it was the weekend and that the person who handles that sort of thing wasn’t in and that I should call back on Monday.
Granted, the LDS Church help line and the reporting line for the state of Connecticut serve different functions. But my experience is that the people staffing the church line were extraordinarily helpful in assisting me to fulfill my legal and ethical duties when I became aware of a tragic situation. Unfortunately, this hasn’t always been the case with government authorities.
Samuel Wilkinson, New Haven, Conn.
