Looking to make an impact? You can help change and save lives, one text at a time. By offering support to those in their darkest moments, you’ll provide a lifeline of hope and comfort. As a trained virtual volunteer, you’ll help people navigate through challenges, offering empathy, guidance and understanding when they need it most. Your commitment can make a powerful difference—giving someone the strength to keep going.
Don’t take our word for it, hear firsthand from our dedicated volunteers about the profound impact of volunteering at Crisis Text Line.
Ready to make a difference as a volunteer Crisis Counselor? It all starts with our free, 2 week, 15-hour online mental health training! You’ll gain skills in reflective listening, collaborative problem-solving and safety planning. The training is self-paced and available 24/7 and you can train anywhere that’s comfortable for you, on your own schedule!
Why is our training important?
Mental health training is a crucial part of becoming a volunteer Crisis Counselor. Our volunteers need the skills and knowledge to effectively support those in crisis, which is why our free, virtual training is designed to deepen your understanding of various mental health challenges.
During this training, you’ll learn techniques for managing emotions, navigating difficult behaviors, and promoting positive practices that contribute to overall well-being. With these tools, our volunteer Crisis Counselors are empowered to provide compassionate, high-quality support to those reaching out for help.
How Volunteering Benefits You and Strengthens Communities #
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Gain Skills to Support Texters, Loved Ones and Your Own Mental Health
By completing our training, you’ll boost your self-awareness and emotional intelligence while sharpening key problem-solving and decision-making skills. You’ll learn how to identify and manage stress, anxiety and depression using positive coping strategies. Additionally, you’ll enhance your communication skills, mastering active listening and gaining the tools to effectively support others while strengthening your own mental health. The skills that you gain through our training will help you support your family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers in moments of crisis.
Volunteer from Anywhere!
A major benefit of becoming a volunteer Crisis Counselor is the flexibility of 100% remote and virtual volunteering! Since we operate 24/7, you can volunteer from anywhere, on your own schedule. This makes it easy to balance your work, personal, and volunteer commitments, while still making a meaningful impact.
Connect with Volunteer Crisis Counselors and Mental Health Professionals in the Crisis Text Line Community
While volunteering is 100% remote, you’re never alone in your journey. Crisis Text Line provides an online community for our volunteer Crisis Counselors, offering a unique opportunity to connect with thousands of dedicated individuals committed to making a difference. In our community space, you can share best practices, gain valuable insights, and receive support from fellow volunteers and Crisis Text Line staff who understand the unique challenges you face. By joining our community, you not only enhance your own skills but also play a vital role in fostering a supportive network that strengthens our collective impact.
Bilingual English/Spanish Volunteer Opportunities
Crisis Text Line offers bilingual support in English and Spanish, ensuring mental health assistance is accessible to the large population of Spanish speakers in the US. We offer virtual volunteer opportunities for people who are fluent in written Spanish in addition to English–to help Spanish-speaking texters in need. By volunteering in both Spanish and English, you can make a meaningful impact across the country while strengthening your language skills and providing essential support to those who need it most. Learn more about supporting texters as a Bilingual volunteer Crisis Counselor.
This HispanicHeritageMonth, we’re celebrating and thanking our amazing Changemaker, Olivia, for her dedication to supporting her community. 🌟 Together, we can continue to uplift and support one another. Visit the link in bio to get started! 🔗 _____________________ Este MesDeLaHerenciaHispana, estamos celebrando y agradeciendo a nuestra increíble LíderDeCambio, Olivia, por su dedicación a apoyar a su comunidad. 🌟 Junt@s, podemos seguir elevándonos y apoyándonos mutuamente. ¡Visita el link en bio para comenzar! 🔗 #CrisisTextLine#yourenotalone#youreenough#volunteer#crisisvolunteer#mentalhealth#saludmental
Want to know what it’s really like to volunteer at Crisis Text Line? Many of our volunteers aren’t sure what to expect when they start their first shift, but by the end of their 200-hour volunteering commitment, they have a completely new perspective on mental health and a host of useful tools and approaches for managing mental health crises.
All of our volunteers learn these skills:
Nonjudgmental communication
Active Listening
Collaborative problem-solving
Safely planning
During a volunteer shift, you are supported by a trained Supervisor who is always there to answer your questions and help if you ever feel overwhelmed. You’ll also have a Success Coach who is available to answer questions, debrief, and support you.
Find out what some of our experienced volunteers had to say about how Crisis Text Line has empowered them and positively impacted their lives.
“I volunteer for Crisis Text Line because practicing empathy and reflective listening makes me a better friend, partner and employee.”
Volunteer Crisis Counselor
“The support from the community of volunteers, coaches and supervisors is huge. Seeing texters go from hot desperation to a quieter calm in a conversation is priceless.”
Are you ready to take the next step and start your journey as a volunteer Crisis Counselor? If so, we’re thrilled to invite you to join our incredible volunteer community! Before you get started, make sure you have access to secure, reliable internet and a personal computer. We accept applications on a rolling basis and begin new training cohorts weekly.
Space is limited so take the first step today!
Step 1: Create an account
Create an account and complete the volunteer Crisis Counselor application (which should take approximately 20 minutes). Accepted applicants must be at least 18 years old and will be contacted via email with instructions to register for a training cohort.
Step 2: Complete our free, 15-hour training
Complete our free 15-hour web-based, self-paced mental health training. This training program includes video modules that teach specific skills like active listening and reflecting, and handling things like self-harm, suicide, depression, bullying, and LGBTQ+ issues; as well as quizzes, role plays, and observation shifts.
Throughout training, each individual is fully supported by a Learning Specialist, who is there every step of the way to answer questions, provide feedback, and offer additional information as needed.
Training cohorts are two weeks in length, and we estimate will take about 15 hours. Accepted applicants should evaluate their personal commitments and needs when selecting the cohort dates that best suit their schedule.
The completion of a background check is also part of the training process. Crisis Text Line uses fair and narrowly-tailored criteria to individually assess an applicant’s potential impact on the privacy, safety, and integrity of the community and the texters we serve, subject to applicable law. To learn more, view the Volunteer Terms of Service & Privacy Policy, which contains more information on how we strive to protect the safety of our texters and our volunteer community.
Step 3: Take your first shift
Take your first volunteer shift and start changing lives! Volunteer Crisis Counselors commit to 200 hours of conversations with people in need. By the end of this time, you will have a completely new perspective on mental health with useful tools and supportive approaches for our texters, yourself and your loved ones.
The information on this website pertains to our services in the United States. If you have any questions throughout the application process, feel free to email admissions@crisistextline.org and someone will get back to you!
For additional information, check out our volunteer FAQs!
“Our volunteers are true heroes! Trained to engage with texters with warmth and empathy, they de-escalate crises and guide people towards safety and actionable steps. In doing so, they empower texters with new tools and coping strategies. Volunteering not only helps texters but profoundly impacts our volunteers and those around them. Thanks to Nicholas Kristof for highlighting our work—this recognition allows us to reach even more individuals in need, and with additional volunteers, we can broaden our impact–offering hope and saving lives.”
