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It Only Takes One Call, Click, or Swipe to Save a Life

Across the world, digital crisis services are becoming more common for saving lives in real-time, digital services not only have the power to connect health providers to one another, but also community members to each other. The #GenH challenge is waiting for your big idea!

“Trevor Lifeline. What’s going on?” It’s the sound of a comforting voice on the other end of the phone line… or the text: “How can I support you today?” that can de-escalate a volatile situation of an LGBTQ young person. It’s the type of support that is becoming more common with online therapy such as TalkSpace, BreakThrough, or BetterHelp. But, what’s unique about a local health leader Johnson & Johnson has supported in the past, The Trevor Project, is that it’s specifically serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning community through a 24-hour phone line, chat, text, and an online social website, often with the support of LGBTQ counselors.

It's a technology that puts people first, starting with just one phone line in 1998. Oscar winning filmmakers Peggy Rajski, James Lecesne, and Randy Stone founded the crisis line for LGBTQ youth in the United States, based on a concern raised in their Academy Award-winning short fiction film, Trevor about a young gay boy named Trevor who died by suicide. Knowing the stigma that can come with "outing" yourself, the film asked a simple question: how could they help more youth like Trevor receive the services, support, and information they need? From a deeply human need arose a novel tech solution, and since then, hundreds of thousands of youth have reached out to the 24-hour crisis line, TrevorChat and TrevorText. By leveraging tech for human wellness, youth receive support, find community, and connect to other LGBTQ youth via the online platform. From The Trevor Project’s crisis services to social media platforms, the Project’s technology puts youth first, applying the fundamentals of human-centered design to reach and engage youth, living their mantra, “We HEAR you. We’re HERE for you.”

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