Connecting Lives: International Crisis Resources List for 7Cups

@Lunaire00 @Suryansh @Heather225 

Oooh this is such an awesome project, y'all! Thank you for working on this, would certainly be super helpful for the community! 

I think @Asher was working on creating a similar database for resources (not specifically crisis related, but included too) earlier, and might have some insight or existing database to add more onto! 

Either way, thank you to everyone collaborating on this special project!❤

@Sunisshiningandsoareyou 

As always Sun, thank you for the immeasurable kindness and support you show the community and all projects! 🤍🌷

I had a look at @Asher's project and it seems very interesting, I will try to get in touch with them soon! It seems their project focused on North America (as of the last update) and collecting resources from all topics to offer better support. A database like that would be brilliant, and perhaps once we've completed Phase 1 & 2 of this project we can branch out further and collaborate with @Asher.

I wanted to get the main resources or hotlines off the list first as crisis resources are in much need,  especially for listeners as we are not trained for crisis support. This project will be long and a bit tedious perhaps, but I am certain it will make it all the more worthwhile in the end! 💜

@Lunaire00 I love this project so much!! 🥰

@LittleBirdie30

Thank you! I am hoping it will be a success, as we really need this resource for users to refer to in a pinch! 🌷

@Lunaire00

This is so awesome. One day when I am ready, I would love to join. I am sure this is going to be a great project. Everyone on here has been so great. 

@bouncyMusic133

Thank you! For sure, I look forward to welcoming you on the team when you are ready. I am glad you have been having a good time on 7Cups, the community is very warm and welcoming! 🌷

I'm not sure if we should try to compete with Wikipedia again when it comes to maintaining a list of verified crisis support numbers and websites but I see the motivation in trying.

However I want to urge you to not remove the Wikipedia link again from the crisis list we offer to listeners and members. The English Wikipedia has a very active community when it comes to keeping that list up-to-date.

@kindSoul10

Hi Soul, thank you for your comment! 💜

I appreciate your perspective. I want to clarify that the aim of this project is not to replace existing crisis resource lists, such as Wikipedia's, but to complement them. If our list is added to the 7Cups crisis page, I'll ensure that it will be an addition, not a replacement.

In fact, we value Wikipedia's list, and we're using it as one of our sources. Our focus at the moment is on finding 3-5 main crisis resources for suicide/self-harm/general emergencies that aren't specific to any situation or group of people. It's a step-by-step process. Once we accomplish the initial task, we'll look into the long-term upkeep of the list.

Rest assured, we won't remove the Wikipedia link from the crisis list 7Cups offers to all users. I understand and recognise the importance of maintaining access to the well-organised and regularly updated resources already available. Thank you for understanding!

This Link should make your job easier or perhaps redundant.

It's the Link we use on Crisis lines and is maintained and updated and checked regularly.

It's maintained by the International Association for Suicide Prevention, a reputable organization that works to decrease worldwide suicide.

Please note, some helplines in some countries have "hours," (eg. they are only open during business hours, 9-5 in their time zone) or they charge for the call. Some do not. Some countries take International Calls, others do not. There is also a wide variety of training that Counselors have to go through.

I work for a Crisis Line. I will say here that 99% of the people who call in are searching for human connection. There are times when the wait time is up to 4-5 hours for the caller.

I would say that the training I as a Counselor received is Excellent, with constructive feedback and clear ways to allow a person who calls or texts to vent and receive support to construct some sort of plan to at least make it through the day. The training required a commitment of very intense work for over 30 hours. Also, the calls are supervised, there is Always a Mental Health Care Paid Counselor available to take over or coach anyone on a call or if a Volunteer is facing an issue they are struggling with providing support about, in real time. It's a really cool group of Counselors as well. I love working Crisis because it is real people with real problems.

However, I would not send people to Crisis Lines unless they were in imminent danger. A lot of people really just want to talk.

Here's the absolute best listing of Crisis Lines, and like I said before, it is checked, verified and maintained by the International Association for Suicide Prevention so totally legit: https://findahelpline.com/i/iasp

I think 7 cups should use this link instead of what they are currently using, honestly. (I say this because when I gave the updated number on one of the lines it took over 9 months for it to be updated on 7 cups crisis page. Because 7 cups is working with a bunch of volunteers things don't always get done very expeditiously. I love all you Volunteers, don't get me wrong! I'm one myself. It's just ---- different when there's some urgency.)

Kindly,

Patience