MORE THAN 10,000 YOUTH IN NEW TRIER TOWNSHIP GAIN ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT 24/7 VIA TEXT-A-TIP

The New Trier Township Board recently approved funding of a new social services program called Text-A-Tip. The program is managed by Lake Forest based LEAD (Linking Efforts Against Drugs), a non-profit, that successfully launched the program in Lake and McHenry counties.

Text-A-Tip provides a 24/7 anonymous text-communication system to youth needing immediate mental health assistance for themselves or a friend. Members of the community can send a text message to a dedicated number and receive an immediate response from a licensed clinician while remaining completely anonymous.

“New Trier Township is proud to work with LEAD to bring this life-saving program to our communities,” said Paddie Brennen, supervisor for New Trier Township. “We understand that today’s students communicate via text messaging and this service provides an outlet that will undoubtedly change lives.”

“Whether struggling with depression, peer pressure or drug and alcohol abuse, more than 10,000 students in New Trier Township now have an outlet for anonymous help

How It Works:

Each community receives a unique ID which routes messages, in real-time, to a local on-call response team. All messages are sent through an offsite cloaking server that keeps the communication completely anonymous.

New Trier Township has two ID codes, NSHELP912 for high school students and NSHELP5678 for students in grades 5-8. Students in New Trier Township simply text this code with their message to 274-637 and they will receive a response within minutes. All youth who attend school within the township are able to use the service regardless of where they live.

Who Responds to the Texts?

The Response Team for New Trier Township consists of licensed/certified mental health professionals from The Child, Adolescent and Family Recovery Center who are on-call 24/7 to respond to messages. On-call clinicians are responsible for responding appropriately to each communication and for following up whenever necessary. In the case of a life-threatening condition or criminal activity, emergency responders will be notified.

LEAD is proud to partner with New Trier Township, The Child, Adolescent and Family Recovery Center, local law enforcement and local school districts to bring this initiative to the communities within New Trier Township.

For more information, visit http://www.leadingefforts.org or call (847) 295-9075. Information about New Trier Township is available by contacting Jack Macholl, Communications Director, at (847) 446-8202.