As fear and stress continue to compound in communities across the state, there’s a growing number of Minnesota schools seeking alternative ways to provide mental health services for their students.
At least one district has locked in a partnership with text-based therapy company Counslr — and now the company says dozens more may soon be launching their service, reaching out recently due to conditions in the community with ongoing federal operations.
The all-text service is available at any time of the year.
“We’re seeing a particular uptick in demand from school districts,” Josh Liss, CEO of Counslr, said.
Willmar Public Schools shared with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that it’s excited about the support it will provide its staff and students.
“Our specific mission at Counslr is what we call reaching the traditionally unreachable,” Liss said.
While the low-barrier and always available text therapy is a great step, long-time child therapist Liz Kittleson says students and families should seek more in-depth, in-person help if needed.
“If we’re having significant trauma, depression, and anxiety that’s impacting our life, ongoing, it might not be the right source for us. And so that’s where I see text therapy to be more of a kind of an adjunct to the individual it’s good for in between,” Kittleson said.
She’s not surprised to learn there’s a growing number of districts seeking this kind of help.
“No, not at all. Schools right now are trying to figure out, ‘How do we best support our kids and teens are saying we need more support,’” Kittleson added.
Warning though: It’s important to make sure the text therapy people use has an understanding and policy to reach local resources.
A spokesperson for Counslr said the following regarding that concern:
“Counslr’s ability to effectively intervene during a crisis is actually one of the elements of our offering which makes us most uniquely impactful.
“Counslr proudly utilizes patented Crisis Response Technology that enables our mental health support staff to alert the nearest Public Safety Answering Point in seconds. Additionally, counselors have access to family emergency contact information. Finally, Counslr works closely with district partners to populate designated school emergency contacts.“
The company also has an extensive privacy policy, which states that it does not sell or rent any information people provide.
Here is a list of suicide prevention and mental health resources:
If you believe someone is at risk of suicide, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests you:
Ask questions about whether the individual is having suicidal thoughts.Call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).Seek help from a medical or mental health professional. If it is an emergency situation, take the person to a hospital.Remove any objects from a person’s home that could be potentially used in a suicide.Do not leave the person alone, if possible, until help is available.
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