性视界

is a non-profit organization that offers free support 24/7 via text message to people facing a crisis. Founded in 2013, the organization was birthed out of , a text-based non-profit organization that connects teens with volunteer opportunities. The catalyst for the organization鈥檚 creation was that some teens were responding to calls for volunteers with messages crying out for help. In particular, a respondent asserted that she was being regularly raped by a family member and didn鈥檛 know what to do. DoSomething.org staff felt like they had to truly do something.

The victim could have called one of many crisis hotlines; however, there wasn鈥檛 a way to text one. Teens, in particular, significantly favor texting over calling as a means of communication and texting provides a different level of privacy than calling. Additionally, “people are more likely to disclose sensitive information via text message than in voice interviews.” [2] Accordingly, it was then obvious that there聽was a real opportunity to address mental health issues facing teens in a new fashion.

 

Value Creation聽

Since Crisis Text Line was established, over 34 million text messages have been exchanged, and it only took four months for the line to receive text messages from all 295 area codes in America.[3, 4] Consequently, the organization has amassed a huge amount of real-time, mid-crisis data 鈥� an unparalleled data set in the mental health field.[5] In contrast, other data are typically captured post-crisis, when memories can be biased or tarnished. The text based nature of the service is also advantageous as it allows for easy data capture (e.g. time, geography, language).聽The data is completely anonymized upon collection and counselors don鈥檛 have access to the texter鈥檚 contact information. Neither party is billed for the correspondence (as a result of an agreement with national cellphone carriers like Verizon and AT&T), and the conversation isn鈥檛 even noted on the texter’s phone bills.

Harnessing and analyzing the data has been a key focus for the organization聽from its inception: the second hire was a Chief Data Scientist.[6] Data helps to modify and optimize crisis-counseling practices and enables the organization to more efficiently and effectively help those in crisis. For instance, Crisis Text Line has found that first-person responses are more effective in helping people 鈥渃ool down鈥� from a “hot moment.”[7] Also, based on a text鈥檚 language, Crisis Text Line鈥檚 algorithm can help predict the crisis鈥� severity level and place that person in the number one slot in the queue, similar to how triage works in hospitals. Lastly, because there鈥檚 only one number to text (versus crisis-specific hotlines), people in crisis don鈥檛 have to overthink which number to text. The organization and algorithm also benefit by being able to centrally aggregate and, in turn leverage, a variety of data.

Crisis Trends is Crisis Text Line鈥檚 sister effort, which helps to educate the public about mental health trends. Researchers, who want to delve deeper into more granular data, can gain access to it by affiliating with a university or research organization and having proper IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval. There are three types of data available: conversation level, actor level, and message level.[8] The aim is that this data set will help the public and policy leaders better address mental health challenges and improve聽people鈥檚 lives.

 

Value Capture

Although Crisis Text Line and don鈥檛 capture value in a traditional manner (i.e. monetization), the data helps to drive the organization鈥檚 operational efforts. For instance, knowing that 鈥渄epression peaks at 8 p.m., anxiety at 11 p.m., self-harm at 4 a.m., and substance abuse at 5 a.m.鈥� can help the organization appropriately staff employees and volunteers, which in turns helps to streamline costs.[9] Since data can help control costs, the burden of fundraising is lessened. Lastly, value is captured via social impact (i.e. lives saved and bettered as a result of the service). Crisis Text Line serves hundreds of folks daily and, on average, has eight 鈥渓ive rescues鈥� a day.[10] The service also is more accessible to the hearing impaired and deaf, relative to other crisis services available.

 

聽Future Opportunities

Looking to the future, the organization hopes to generate greater awareness, onboard more highly trained volunteers, and grow to international markets.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Dose/videos/1314300228664512/

—

Footnotes / Sources:

摆1闭听丑迟迟辫蝉://产濒辞驳蝉.尘颈肠谤辞蝉辞蹿迟.肠辞尘/产补测补谤别补/2016/11/30/丑辞飞-肠谤颈蝉颈蝉-迟别虫迟-濒颈苍别-颈蝉-丑补谤苍别蝉蝉颈苍驳-诲补迟补-迟辞-颈尘辫谤辞惫别-尘别苍迟补濒-丑别补濒迟丑-蝉耻辫辫辞谤迟-颈苍-迟丑别-产补测-补谤别补

摆2闭听丑迟迟辫://飞飞飞.苍别飞测辞谤办别谤.肠辞尘/尘补驳补锄颈苍别/2015/02/09/谤-耻

摆3闭听丑迟迟辫://肠谤颈蝉颈蝉迟谤别苍诲蝉.辞谤驳

摆4闭听丑迟迟辫://飞飞飞.苍别飞测辞谤办别谤.肠辞尘/尘补驳补锄颈苍别/2015/02/09/谤-耻

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

摆8闭听丑迟迟辫://飞飞飞.尘辞产颈丑别补濒迟丑苍别飞蝉.肠辞尘/肠辞苍迟别苍迟/肠谤颈蝉颈蝉-迟别虫迟-濒颈苍别-辞辫别苍蝉-颈迟蝉-尘别苍迟补濒-丑别补濒迟丑-迟别虫迟颈苍驳-诲补迟补-蝉别迟-谤别蝉别补谤肠丑别谤蝉

摆9闭听丑迟迟辫://飞飞飞.苍别飞测辞谤办别谤.肠辞尘/尘补驳补锄颈苍别/2015/02/09/谤-耻

摆10闭听丑迟迟辫://尘补蝉丑补产濒别.肠辞尘/2016/05/28/肠谤颈蝉颈蝉-迟别虫迟-濒颈苍别/#叠驳耻补4翱叠驳4贰辩2