NEW YORK, May 9, 2019 /CNW/ - As part of ongoing work to promote mental health, The Duke of Cambridge released a video message today encouraging people in the United Kingdom to apply to become Crisis Volunteers for Shout, an affiliate of Crisis Text Line in the UK. Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone launched in Canada in 2018.
"I am incredibly excited to be launching this service, knowing it has the potential to reach thousands of vulnerable people every day. Over the last few months, Shout has started working quietly behind the scenes. Catherine, Harry, Meghan and I have been able to see the service working up close and are so excited for its future. At the heart of this service will be an incredible national volunteer community, one which needs to grow to allow us to support more people in crisis," said The Duke of Cambridge.
As with Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone, Shout provides free, confidential support, 24/7 via text. In Canada, support is available in English and French by texting 686868. Crisis Responders complete a 36-hour training and have supervision by full-time mental health professionals. Canadians who wish to become Crisis Responders can apply at https://kidshelpphone.ca/text/.
The launch of Shout in the UK is a result of the commitment made by Their Royal Highnesses during their Heads Together campaign to support conversations on mental health. In October 2017 The Royal Foundation announced its largest-ever grant to establish Mental Health Innovations (MHI), an independent charity which will develop emerging technology for the mental health sector. The first priority was to bring Crisis Text Line to the UK.
"We are proud of the work Crisis Text Line and our Crisis Counselors have done in the United States to ease the pain of Americans. If other world leaders will follow the lead of The Duke of Cambridge, together, we can end this epidemic of emotional crisis," said Nancy Lublin, CEO and Founder of Crisis Text Line.
Crisis Text Line, headquartered in New York City, runs the technology and data operations. In 2018, Crisis Text Line updated its data security and privacy policies and procedures to ensure GDPR compliance. All international affiliates of Crisis Text Line, including Shout in the UK and Kids Help Phone in Canada use the same technology stack.
Since launching in 2013, Crisis Text Line has processed more than 100 million messages and built the largest set of mental health data. Over the next three years, it plans to launch in fifteen countries.
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You can access the video and images using the link and password below.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z8pnyodj3ztxq02/AADONWiSEf8TkLE54ItnNltla?dl=0
Password: shout2019
About Kids Help Phone: Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 national service offering professional counselling, information, referrals and volunteer-led text-based support for young people. Since 1989, Kids Help Phone has offered kids, teens and young adults a critical lifeline of hope and support through our free, anonymous and confidential services – which are available in both English and French. Kids Help Phone is a registered Canadian charity, and we raise the majority of our revenue from individuals, foundations, corporations, and community fundraising. https://kidshelpphone.ca/
About Crisis Text Line: Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential support for people in crisis via text. In Canada, support is available in English and French by texting 686868.Our crisis interventions offer in-the-moment support to people of all ages who are in a mental or emotional state that has left them in a dangerous condition or unable to cope in a functional or productive way. Crisis Counselors complete a 36-hour training and have 24/7 supervision by full-time Crisis Text Line mental health professionals. www.crisistextline.org
SOURCE Kids Help Phone
Media Contact: Kids Help Phone: Lindsey Coulter, [email protected]; Crisis Text Line: Ashley Womble, [email protected]
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