Free, confidential, 24/7 support through SMS, web chat, and WhatsApp with trained volunteer Crisis Counselors.
Audience
People seeking immediate emotional support through text-based communication
Coverage
United States, with affiliated text services in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland
Availability
24/7 in the United States
Service type
Volunteer crisis support through SMS, web chat, and WhatsApp
Overview
Crisis Text Line is designed for people who would rather type than speak. A trained volunteer counselor listens, asks questions, helps lower the intensity of the moment, and works with the texter toward a safer and calmer next step. Counselors are not medical professionals and do not provide diagnosis or treatment.
Important distinction
This page is an independent Mello Zone orientation profile. It does not mean Mello Zone operates, supervises, endorses, or guarantees this organization. The provider remains responsible for its own service, eligibility, staffing, privacy practices, availability, and outcomes.
Contact methods
Phone, text, chat, email, locator, and website options can serve different needs. Availability notes are shown on every card.
Text
HOME to 741741
24/7 in the U.S.
HOLA can be used for Spanish support. Message and data rates may apply.
Chat
crisistextline.org/chat
24/7
A browser option for people who prefer not to use SMS.
Website
crisistextline.org/get-help-hub
Online anytime
Explains the service, common topics, international options, and what to expect.
What it can help with
What to expect
An automated opening followed by connection to a trained volunteer counselor
A text conversation that usually focuses on the immediate difficult moment
Questions intended to understand safety and what support would feel useful
Empathetic listening without judgment or pressure
A conversation that often lasts about 15 to 45 minutes, depending on need and volume
Limits and fit
History
2013
Milestone 01
Crisis Text Line began in the United States with the goal of making emotional support reachable through a communication method many people already used privately.
Growth
Milestone 02
Affiliated services developed in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland while the U.S. service added web chat and WhatsApp access.
Today
Milestone 03
The organization studies anonymized patterns to improve quality, understand emerging needs, and show where people are reaching out during community-wide stress.
Impact
These figures and examples are attributed to the provider's own public reporting. They do not guarantee an individual result.
Supported over the service's lifetime according to its volunteer-impact reporting.
Supported by U.S. volunteers in one year.
Skilled crisis-intervention time donated by U.S. volunteers.
Impact in practice
During the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, Crisis Text Line reported that conversations from LA County doubled at the onset compared with the prior week, while California volume rose by more than 40 percent. The example shows why a text channel can matter when disaster, displacement, and uncertainty make normal support harder to reach.
Source: Crisis Text Line: California wildfire analysisPrivacy and device safety
Official links and connected reading
Mello Zone directory statement
Mello Zone is not a crisis center, healthcare provider, counseling service, treatment locator, or substitute for licensed care. This profile summarizes publicly available information and provides direct links to the independent organization.
