NASHVILLE, Tenn.—With September’s National Suicide Prevention Month set to draw much-needed attention to America’s mental health epidemic, TheHopeLine is uniquely poised to assist those in need as a worldwide leader in lifesaving crisis intervention resources. Among TheHopeLine’s extensive tools is its live chat service, recognized as the country’s #1 faith-based crisis line for students and young adults.
The free live chat is available 24-hours a day and is facilitated by a team of 31 certified Hope Coaches. Statistically, one suicide happens every 40 seconds around the world, so Hope Coaches are a vital line of communication for those in crisis during overnight hours, holidays and at other times when traditional mental health providers are less accessible.
“A UCLA study reports that 20% of high school students have serious thoughts of suicide and 1.4 million kids have made attempts to take their own lives,” states Tim Altman, CEO, TheHopeLine. “And according to the CDC, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults, ages 10-34.”
“We have been addressing the confusion and despair of young people for over 30 years and we offer in-depth resources on TheHopeline.com,” Altman adds. “However, our signature service is free crisis live chat, which is always available and staffed by our corps of well-trained Hope Coaches.”
“At TheHopeLine we work to preemptively help people before suicide seems to be their only answer, and we also aim to rescue those who are imminently suicidal,” explains Jennifer DeJong, COO, TheHopeLine. “Most importantly, we have the opportunity to share the only REAL solution, a relationship with Jesus Christ.”
“By the time someone is reaching out to a help line they have tried many things to ‘fix’ themselves and none of those things have worked,” DeJong continues. “We know everyone is uniquely created for a purpose in the image of God. We want people to know they are loved so deeply that God sent His Son to save them, and He will walk by their side so they never have to be alone. Many of the people we chat with have never had anyone pray for them before, so we get the amazing privilege of bringing them before God for the first time in their lives.”
In addition to its live chat service, TheHopeLine produces a variety of crisis intervention tools for schools, churches and other organizations. One of the nonprofit’s latest initiatives is The Hope Box, which contains displayable resources explaining TheHopeLine’s range of services. Posters, table tents, QR code stickers and crisis cards are among items in the box available free to eligible teachers, youth pastors and counselors to help engage students in need with TheHopeLine.
