It’s not unusual for Nancy Lublin’s employees to spend valuable time texting while they’re on the job. In fact, Lublin encourages it. As the CEO of DoSomething, Lublin’s employees regularly send out text messages that inspire young people to advocate for social causes. But after one of her employee’s messages received an alarming response from a teen in trouble, Lublin launched into action and started the first 24/7, nationwide crisis-intervention text-message hotline.
As an intervention resource, Crisis Text Line (CTL) is primarily used by teens who prefer to text message over calling into a hotline. But an offshoot of the resource is that it’s also building a “real-time crisis-map” as reporter Jessi Hempill writes in a recent WIRED article.
When texters first send a message, they receive an automated response welcoming them, offering up the service’s privacy policy, and showing them how to opt out by writing “STOP.” Within five minutes on average, a volunteer counselor will respond. Lublin’s team has grown adept at using keywords to flag messages coming from more vulnerable texters, directing them to more experienced help more quickly. . .
Using geographic data along with keywords, CTL can also provide scripts for its counselors. Often returning texts from their couches at home, these volunteers can take on up to ten conversations at a time, keeping track of them on a software program that looks a bit like Facebook. As the software analyzes incoming texts, it can send counselors targeted messages like, “There’s a 99 percent chance this texter has a substance abuse issue. Here are three rehab programs within the texter’s area code.” On average, CTL helps initiate the physical rescue of at least two kids in danger of committing suicide every day.
Later this year, Lublin plans to step down from her position at DoSomething to focus on growing CTL. One of her hopes is to leverage CTL’s data through her site CrisisTrends.com, which she’s made available for free to gather insights into mental health trends to help provide better services for teens.
You may read this article in its entirety on WIRED.
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