How valuable is Crisis Text Line volunteering?

[account4premed]

The only nonclinical volunteering I have is at a food bank for ~2 hours a week for a total of ~100 hours by application time, so I'm about to start volunteering with Crisis Text Line. For those unfamiliar, it's a service to provide mental health support through texting. Since this is remote, would it still help my application if I just have these two activities for my nonclinical volunteering?

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[Banco]

Sure, as long as you can write/talk intelligently about it and why it was important.

But don't try to only use it as just a stepping stone, some people calling/texting into those lines can really use the help, and it can be rewarding for you beyond the "does it look good" level.

 

[LizzyM]

If you think that it is valuable to the people who text you, and if you find fulfillment in helping people in that way, then it is valuable.

 

[Goro]

The only nonclinical volunteering I have is at a food bank for ~2 hours a week for a total of ~100 hours by application time, so I'm about to start volunteering with Crisis Text Line. For those unfamiliar, it's a service to provide mental health support through texting. Since this is remote, would it still help my application if I just have these two activities for my nonclinical volunteering?

Worthwhile!

 

[account4premed]

Thank you all! I definitely wanted to do this since I want to learn how to speak more empathetically to those in crisis, so that's good to hear.

 

[2025UMNMed]

Thank you all! I definitely wanted to do this since I want to learn how to speak more empathetically to those in crisis, so that's good to hear.

I’ve been volunteering with them for almost a year and it has definitely helped me in this manner! It can be emotionally and mentally draining, as is expected, but there are an associated set of traits you’ll learn that are great for medicine. You just have to make sure to approach it with the right mindset, because there are real people on the other side that you’re helping; and they are suicidal and or struggling with difficult feelings - so it’s important to really know you want to do it, and be prepared to give what it needs.

 

[Catalystik]

The only nonclinical volunteering I have is at a food bank for ~2 hours a week for a total of ~100 hours by application time, so I'm about to start volunteering with Crisis Text Line. For those unfamiliar, it's a service to provide mental health support through texting. Since this is remote, would it still help my application if I just have these two activities for my nonclinical volunteering?

Does the crisis text line require training? How are you held accountable? Are your hours of involvement tracked somehow? Do you have a Contact who can attest to your timeframe of involvement?

 

[deleted1041819]

Does the crisis text line require training? How are you held accountable? Are your hours of involvement tracked somehow? Do you have a Contact who can attest to your timeframe of involvement?

30 hours of mandatory training with skill checks, and when you're active, there are supervisors monitoring conversations and there for backup/support if you need it. Hours are tracked and there are letters that you can send in to verify hours, as well as a contact you can provide information for (normally the coach who oversaw your training).

 

[Talldoctor96]

This is what I always tell people: its not about what the name of the activity is but what you DO with it. You could have the lamest sounding job in the world, but if you meet and interact with people in need and learn how to care and listen thats the key.

 

[manwelio]

Thank you all! I definitely wanted to do this since I want to learn how to speak more empathetically to those in crisis, so that's good to hear.

It's interesting you say this because I've been really invested in signing up with them, but I've found both Crisis Text Line AND Trevor Project to have really problematic training programs.

With Trevor Project, I reviewed their materials and they basically contradicted their own statements at every turn. You'd take the practice quizzes and get most wrong and there would be no feedback about why there was a more nuanced correct answer because the materials didn't clarify some of the scenarios. I felt like I had no idea what they were looking for.

Then, with Crisis Text Line, I did not appreciate that the training program was only ever two weeks to complete while trying to fit in full-time work and other demands. They say they have a six-week training but it was never available.

I also had trouble with completing activities that were "graded" by an algorithm. I had to email the supervisor to look at my responses because I was getting negative feedback about my performance and then she'd look and say I did a great job. So their training needs work. It's really defeating and it ate into my timeline of completing on time to wait to proceed.

 

[DigNewton]

I’ve been volunteering with them for almost a year and it has definitely helped me in this manner! It can be emotionally and mentally draining, as is expected, but there are an associated set of traits you’ll learn that are great for medicine. You just have to make sure to approach it with the right mindset, because there are real people on the other side that you’re helping; and they are suicidal and or struggling with difficult feelings - so it’s important to really know you want to do it, and be prepared to give what it needs.

This completely aligns with my experience volunteering through CTL. I had some reservations when I first looked into it, but I've been volunteering with them for about 18 months, and it ended up being one of my most meaningful activities (and continues to be). Is the training perfect? Nope. But I found it good enough to equip me for taking conversations, and you're never alone on the platform – you'll always have a supervisor there if you are unsure of what to do.

It can vary a lot from shift to shift, but know there's a strong chance that at some point you'll end up talking to someone who is actively planning to kill themselves. You'll have active support from your supervisor if/when that happens, but it can be deeply unnerving. If you see yourself being able to emotionally and psychologically handle that, I'd encourage you to go for it. There's an endless sea of people hurting out there who just need someone to listen and support them, and crisis counseling is one of the few volunteer activities where you may have the privilege of directly saving a life. It puts a lot into perspective, and I've grown a lot from my time volunteering with CTL.

 

[proudofmykids]

Based on my kids experience and reading other wamc-like posts here on SDN, different schools value different activities, differently. For a true straight-through traditional med school applicant, I found the most consistent denominator to be about 1500 total hours of ECs comprised of clinical, non-clinical volunteering, demonstrated leadership (not just titles), other unique activities/job (non athletics), research, and shadowing. Individual hours for each can have variable ratios, except for the shadowing of 50hrs min ( inclusive of primary care), and still be successful at T5s. The rules of thumb for each are goals not rules.

non-traditional students, imho should strive to add >1000hrs per gap year unless doing full time post-baccalaureate or SMP where their focused primary hours won’t be considered ECs.