Rachel speaks with Dr. Shairi Turner, Chief Health Officer at Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that provides free, 24/7 text-based mental health support and crisis intervention through a community of trained volunteer counselors. In 2025, Crisis Text Line had more conversations than any year since its founding — over 1.5 million — and the data from those conversations tells a story that every clinician and practice owner needs to hear.
Dr. Turner walks Rachel through how Crisis Text Line actually works: what happens from the moment someone texts HOME to 741741, how volunteer counselors are trained and supervised, and how the organization handles the rare cases — just one percent — where a conversation cannot be de-escalated. She also shares the founding story of Crisis Text Line, born from a moment when a young person reached out for help through a volunteer platform with nowhere else to turn. The conversation covers what the 2025 data reveals about who is reaching out — rural communities, young people, and boys under 14 reporting suicidal thoughts at striking rates — and ends with a direct call to action for clinicians: ask young men and boys how they are doing, and ask clearly.
If you or someone you know needs support, text HOME to 741741 to connect with a live volunteer Crisis Counselor.
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