Lean On Me at UVA

Club Description

Lean On Me is a student-led text line for anonymous, non-crisis mental health support. We are a group of about 22 students who are dedicated to uplifting fellow students and improving the mental health of our peers, as well as de-stigmatizing regular discourse around mental health. We have a hotline number (434-300-3434) to which users may text in from their own device and engage in a conversation with one of our peer Supporters. All of our Supporters have completed a thorough training process designed to give them the tools they need to chat with fellow students who may be going through a tough time, or who need advice. While these training tools are not intended to address crisis situations or emergencies, we collaborate with a national hotline called Samaritans, to which we are able to seamlessly transfer students if a crisis is recognized or if it is deemed necessary. We have monthly meetings in which we refresh our skills in peer counseling, discuss topics that may arise when talking to users, and go over previous text conversations to continuously improve the quality of support we provide. Overall our mission is to foster a welcoming, nonjudgmental environment within our group and UVA in general as well as to make mental health support more accessible to students on an everyday basis.