Improving Mental Health, one Text Message at a Time
By: Eric Freytag
Tags: Live Streaming, Twitch, Mental Health, Charity, Technology

It is well documented that mental health is a critical issue in modern-day society. Issues of mental health effect 1 in 3 Americans. That’s why The Center For Suicide Awareness is on a mission to prevent suicide through proactive education, training, emotional support, collaboration, and intervention.

In support of this mission, they’ve created a variety of programs that are making a significant impact on the lives of people struggling with this issue every day.

Streamlabs is proud to be a partner of the Center for Suicide Awareness. You can help fundraise on their behalf by scheduling a charity stream to support them. Find them on our charity platform when you’re ready to start a fundraiser.

The HOPELINE

The HOPELINE is a text-in (versus voice call-in) free emotional support service providing hope, help, and support when it’s needed most. It serves anyone in any type of situation by providing them access to free, 24/7 emotional support and information they need through a medium they already use and trust: text.

Although it started with 9 responders, the HOPELINE has grown to 2,000 trained volunteers who provide support 24/7, free of charge. Here’s an example of one of the lives it saved:

After a few months, a texter stated that they no longer could handle life and had cut their wrists. Our trained responder knew it was a text to take action and got the police involved. The responder followed the strict protocol when they feel a person is at harm. Kept the texter on the line breathing HOPE back into them and getting police/EMS on the way. When they showed up, the whole family had no idea that just above in a bedroom that they loved one was suicidal. That person is alive and safe today and actually does workshops with us. To date we have had over 150 similar interventions and saved all of them.

Training Programs for Suicide Prevention

The Center for Suicide awareness also runs two training programs that help participants identify early warning signs, and respond correctly in crisis to save lives. They’re called A.S.I.S.T (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and Q.P.R. (Question, Persuade, Refer).

The ASIST program is a two day workshop that helps each participant recognize when someone is thinking about suicide and connect them to help and support. Participants learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.

Most people who have thoughts of suicide do provide signs. However, many people do not recognize these as signs of asking for help.

Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save lives. QPR is a 2 hour workshop for the everyday person who wants to know what to do if they interact with a person who is suicidal. The Center’s team are experts in knowing how to work with a suicidal person, and they pass on their skill sets so people fell confident in handling any interaction they may have.

This training is for everyone. We train people to train others so their impact reaches the masses. We know an educated and an aware community is doing their part of solving suicide epidemic.

How you can help

Starting December 8th, 2020, The Center for Suicide Awareness is launching the 1st Annual “Hold on to Hope” Multi-streamer Charity Event. By hosting a streaming event, you’ll be apart of of something bigger to keep others holding on, giving them hope, and showing them their life is valuable.

When you raise $100 for the Center for The Center for Suicide Awareness, that $100 will do one of the following:

provide 1 school with enough posters with the HOPELINE number and posters of resilience

give a group of soldiers our Challenge Coins stating that they are there for us and we are there for them with our HOPELINE number on it

produce a packet of HOPELINE cards to hand out to clients at a clinic.

finance a workshop on diversity (LBGTQIA+, racial and disparity)

provide a school with a workshop on how to talk about mental health (free of charge)

gift a police/EMS/ firefighter a free session of counseling when they need to de-stress

pay for a home-visit to an at-risk elderly person who is isolated and feeling alone

We see so many people in the gaming world who want and need the care and compassion to know they are not alone. And we are there for them! Remember, you are loved and you are important, you are not alone.

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