anonymous peer support via text
Our mission
Lean On Me strengthens communities by providing peer-to-peer text lines that allow for easy access to confidential non-crisis support. We envision a world where anyone can seek and receive emotional support.
Our chapters
Since our establishment at MIT in September of 2016, Lean On Me has established 13 active Chapters at universities throughout the country with more launching every year. To find a hotline near you, please click here.
How our hotlines work
Lean On Me hotlines allow students to talk to trained peer Supporters in a convenient and anonymous setting. To learn more about our training process, please click here.
1. Text our hotline
Find your community's hotline number and text in whatever you’d like to talk about! This can range from brief messages such as “All of my friends are busy and I want someone to talk to” to a longer, more serious message. Our Supporters are here to listen and be there for you - the topic is your choice!
3. Receive a reply
The expected wait time is just under 5 minutes. While the service is available at any time, please remember that Supporters are your peers, who lead their own busy lives and occasionally remember to sleep. So the wait time for a conversation sent in at 4:30 AM may be longer, and we thank you for understanding that!
5. End the conversation
Conversations last for as long as you would like them to, and you can end a conversation with a Supporter at any time by texting “/bye” to the hotline. If you text again you will be matched with a new Supporter and they will not see what you wrote before.
2. Match with a Supporter
Once a text is received, all active Supporters will be informed that a request has come in, and within a few minutes you will be matched with one!
4. Have a conversation
You can now have a conversation with the Supporter! Feel free to text for as long as you like. If you ever feel uncomfortable with a Supporter text “/flag”, and we’ll match you with another! For a full list of commands, text “/help” to the hotline. Supporters never see your slash commands.
6. Provide feedback
Once a conversation ends, you will be asked to provide feedback, helping make the service better for future users. By no means is this mandatory, but we would really appreciate it. Your input will have a very real effect on the future of Lean On Me, and on changes we make to the service!
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Who are the peer Supporters?Supporters are volunteers who share your experiences and are excited to converse with you! They are your peers, as determined by the context of the hotline. (For example, the UMD hotline's supporters are all UMD students.) While they are not formally licensed or certified, they do go through our Supporter training.
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How can I be a part of Lean On Me in my community?We're always looking for more people to join the team! If you're interested in applying to be a peer Supporter, please visit your chapter's Join page for more information. If you'd like to be a part of the Lean On Me organizational team or software development squad, please email us at team@lean0n.me!
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Can I start a Lean On Me hotline?If you're part of a group that's interested in having a Lean On Me hotline, please email us at team@lean0n.me and our team will get back to you as soon as possible. Our service is still in the development phase, but we are looking to expand to other universities as well as other organizations in the future, and would love to start a conversation with you now!
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How anonymous is it, really?Our goal is to create a low-barrier, stigma-free, peer support network. That means that we take steps to ensure that when you text in, neither you nor the peer you match with see each other's phone number. While we know how many repeat users we've had, we won't know who those users are, where they live etc. (unless you choose to disclose that information, of course). That also means that we're peers, not professionals, and maintain some information - including your phone number and conversation history - so that we can transfer you to a mental health professional if the Supporter you're speaking to feels out of their depth. Because we care about your health and safety, we might also give your contact information to the authorities in certain cases.
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Is this also a suicide hotline? Can I text in a crisis situation?We are not a suicide hotline, nor are we trained to deal with crisis-level situations. We're just kind peers willing to listen and talk, but if you need urgent help or find yourself in a crisis, please call 911, or text "HOME" to the National Crisis Textline at 741-741.
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How can I provide feedback?Feedback is always welcome! If you have a suggestion, please drop us a line at team@lean0n.me! We are constantly thinking about how to improve the Lean On Me network and technology, so we would love to hear from you.
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Meet our peer support enthusiasts
Amin
Cofounder
Ainsley (Boston College ’23) build out Lean On Me's marketing strategy across a variety of social media platforms. Thanks to her you can find us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok!
Ainsley
Director of Marketing
Bruny (Duke ’20) works on data analytics and community building across Lean On Me’s chapters. She has worked with NAMI, the NIMH, and is currently pursuing an MD at GW University
Bruny
Director of Analytics
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Catherine
NLP Engineer
Daniel (MIT ’18) works to ensure that Lean On Me is as impactful, efficient, transparent, and data-driven as possible. He is currently pursuing a PhD in consumer behavior at UCLA.
Daniel
Chief Executive Officer
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Kyle
Director of Finance
Rami (MIT ’19) is devoted to leveraging technology for a positive social impact. He works as a software engineer at Applied Intuition and ensures that the Lean On Me platform continues to run smoothly.
Rami
Chief Technology Officer
We're always looking for strong new volunteers to join us on the National team. There's lots of work to be done and many interesting questions to be answered.
You?
Join our team!