When you text 741741, you’ll be connected to a Crisis Counselor who can help you work through tough times. They’ll support you at your own pace, and the goal is to get you to a calm, safe place.
Teen Vogue spoke with volunteers at DoSomething and Crisis Text Line to understand how volunteering there shapes their lives, their relationships, and their communities.
Become a Crisis Counselor
If you or someone you know is in crisis, text STEVE to 741741 and you’ll be connected to a trained crisis counselor. It’s free, 24/7 and confidential.
Whether your problem is suicide thoughts, job stress or a breakup, a trained crisis counselor will listen and respond. They can also connect you to other resources or help you get support from a friend or family member.
Crisis Text Line volunteers can work from anywhere and volunteer for as little or as many hours as they want. The minimum weekly requirement is 2 2-hour shifts.
To become a volunteer, visit the Crisis Text Line website and click on “volunteer.” You’ll be asked to sign up for training, complete an application and pass a background check. During your training, you’ll work with a coach who can answer questions and give you feedback. You’ll then be ready to begin volunteering. You can even work from home, which eliminates travel time and costs and allows you to keep your day job while still volunteering.
How It Works
When someone texts HELLO or HOLA to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, they’ll immediately connect with a trained crisis counselor. They can text about anything, from suicidal thoughts to a breakup to job stress, and their conversation is confidential. They don’t have to share their name, and they can talk as much or as little as they want to.
A volunteer CC will help the individual move from their “hot moment” to a calm, safe place by asking questions, empathizing, and listening. Sometimes this means providing them with a referral to other services, but mostly it just means having a conversation.
This study analyzed anonymous CC reports and voluntary survey responses from all Crisis Text Line conversations conducted in one year. The study’s specific aims focused on the degree to which texters felt their CCs were genuinely concerned about them and whether they reported feeling less depressed, overwhelmed, or suicidal at the end of the conversation.
What You’ll Learn
Whether the issue is an unexpected breakup, a home invasion or the threat of suicide, texters can talk about whatever they feel. They can also ask for help on a specific topic. Using empathy and active listening, counselors work with people to move from a hot moment to a cool calm.
To empathize, a volunteer might say, “I’m so sorry to hear that.” This helps the person-in-need feel heard and understood. They can then share more, at their own pace.
The volunteers don’t pry or give advice. Instead, they ask questions to assess risk and prompt the person to identify options and weigh pros and cons.
The study also found that a texter’s perception of their CC’s genuine concern was related to the success of their conversation. This suggests that the CCs are able to connect with people of all backgrounds and help them overcome their challenges. It’s a powerful model for how we can provide help and care in a rapidly changing world.
What to Expect
A helpline worker will ask you questions about your situation, but it’s up to you how much or little you share. Oftentimes, it helps to write down your biggest concerns before you call. That way, you can refer back to them throughout your conversation.
While most conversations on the new 988 line involve suicide-related concerns, our study found that text lines can also be effective for people with other mental health or substance use problems. Further, our finding that nearly half of suicidal texters felt less suicidal at the end of their crisis chat reflects clinically meaningful improvement and is comparable to findings from studies of psychotherapy (Gould et al., 2022).
The Steve Fund offers young people of color a chance to speak with trained Crisis Counselors 24/7 by texting STEVE to 741741. Learn more here. MSG is on the Crisis Text Lines Clinical Advisory Board and AP and CG are uncompensated members of the Data Advisory Committee.