That next text could save a kid’s life

Be warned. What follows will be difficult to read. But I urge you to continue reading, because what resulted could help save lives.

“He won’t stop raping me. It’s my dad. He told me not to tell anyone. Are you there?”

That was a real text message received by workers at DoSomething.org, a nonprofit organization that connects young people with opportunities to affect social change.

They had received cries for help before, from kids who were bullied or had self-harming impulses, for instance. But this one was so horrific that the organization’s leaders decided they had to do something about it.

The response was Crisis Text Line — launched in August 2013 — a free, 24/7 service that provides support for anyone in need, anywhere in the country, simply by texting 741741. More than 25 million messages have been processed to date, with responses handled by trained volunteers referred to as “crisis counselors.”

These counselors provide immediate feedback in order to move those reaching out for help from what they refer to as a “hot” moment of crisis to a “cool” status. They also offer referrals to other support services, and, if needed, sometimes trigger active interventions. In fact, they are currently averaging about 10 active rescues a day.

Though the text line can be used by anyone, it appeals particularly to young people who are accustomed to communicating this way. Indeed, about 80% of those texting in are under age 25. It also offers a degree of privacy that likely helps youthful users feel more comfortable discussing their circumstances.

“Text is unbelievably private,” founder Nancy Lublin said in a Ted Talk last year. “No one hears you talking. So we spike every day at lunch time. Kids are sitting at the lunch table, and you think that she’s texting the cute boy across the hall, but she’s actually texting us about her bulimia. And we don’t get the word “like” or “um” or hyperventilating or crying. We just get facts.”

The text line currently has about 2,000 counselors, who each received 34 hours of training before starting. They commit to working four hours a week, and are overseen by paid staff members who have degrees in psychology, social work or related fields.

An algorithm is used to identify key words to determine the severity of the situation, and texts are responded to accordingly. The average conversation lasts for more than one hour.

Kyra Da Silvia Colaco, a 21-year-old Cal State Fullerton psychology student, began volunteering for Crisis Text Line two years ago. The self-described introvert had been looking for volunteer opportunities, and when she heard about the text line she thought, “This is perfect for me.”

During training, Colaco learned how to respond to a variety of situations, including potentially suicidal or self-harming texters.

“We ask open-ended questions so they can share what exactly they’re struggling with,” she said. “From there we go into how to get from that heated moment to a calmer moment.”

She also learned how to validate the feelings of those in distress and steer the conversation to areas of strength that can be built upon. Colaco might reply, for instance, “You’re so brave for reaching out to me. I know that must have been difficult.”

She might also help texters brainstorm about coping skills or social supports, or ask if there is an adult or trusted friend they can turn to for help. In some cases, she might try to persuade those reaching out to seek therapy or consult with a doctor. Every situation is different, and volunteers must use their skills and experience to feel their way through.

Depression and anxiety are the most common reasons for texts. Those conversations can be extremely difficult, Colaco said, because some people she has dealt with have been suffering for years.

“You have to find that small glimmer of hope,” she said

Colaco recalled one text exchange with a young man who was resistant to her suggestions that he seek therapy. By the end of the conversation, she said, “He did a complete 180. He said, ‘Yes, I’ll go to therapy.’ That really made me very happy.”

The aim is to leave every conversation with a clear action plan and open door for future contact, said Crisis Text Line spokeswoman Liz Eddy.

Another positive aspect to the text line, Eddy said, is that it can use the information it gathers to help provide broader solutions to the kinds of problems it deals with. The organization partners with cities, states and universities, all of which can use the data collected to inform government and school policies about mental health issues.

But at its core, Crisis Text Line is all about those one-on-one dialogues between someone in distress on one end and an empathetic, non-judgmental stranger on the other. Its strength is in the harnessing of a modern electronic form of communication to give a lifeline to those who are feeling lost and alone.

The text line is there to say “yes” to the next person who asks, “Are you there?”

That number again is 741741. Parents, I suggest you make sure that your children’s school is informing all students about this valuable service, and letting the kids know that there’s a safe way to seek help should they ever feel the need.

PATRICE APODACA is a former Newport-Mesa public school parent and former Los Angeles Times staff writer. She lives in Newport Beach.