Photo credit: https://lean0n.me/
For Northeastern students struggling with stress, anxiety, or any number of other common college-campus issues, a new resource could serve as a much-needed support.
The “Huntington” chapter of Lean on Me, an anonymous texting hotline founded last year at MIT, was rolled out in February by a group of Northeastern students concerned about a perceived shortage of mental health resources on campus.
The textline works by pairing those who want to talk to someone with specially trained peer supporters, all college students with more knowledge of the specific issues facing those in that age demographic than a supporter at an external, more broadly intended textline. Conversation are kept anonymous through a clever bit of technological innovation; the textline’s number serves as a go-between, meaning that supporters don’t see the user’s number, and the user does not see the supporter’s information.
Northeastern has received criticism for its lengthy waiting times between appointments; it can sometimes take weeks to see a counselor at University Health and Counseling Services, a mightily prolonged time to wait given that students are more likely to seek help under significant duress than before a mental health issue worsens to a dangerous degree. Lean on Me, while not qualified to handle the most serious of mental health issues (if a texter is suicidal, the conversation will be referred to the Samaritans hotline), seeks to serve as a useful, more immediate source of support for students.
15 students are currently qualified to staff the textline, but additional training will take place in coming semesters.
The Boston Collegian 