Thousands of Kiwis in crisis are set to benefit from the
launch of a new charity’s technology which can reduce the
time it takes to select and contact a suitable mental health
helpline.

According to latest Government statistics,
nearly a quarter of New Zealand adults have experienced
‘poor’ mental wellbeing on the World Health Organization’s
WHO-5 scale.

Live For Tomorrow, a new local charity
has launched technology which is set to help news companies
and social media platforms more effectively connect users in
crisis with mental health support services.

The
charity is set to offer the world’s largest database of
mental health helplines to those experiencing distress
providing a new, more user friendly, online interface
embedded on media websites. The interface makes it easier to
select the right mental health support service
instantly.

Users will also be able to access the
database of over 1,600 helplines directly through the
charity’s Find
A Helpline website in the coming weeks.

Elliot
Taylor, founder of Live For Tomorrow, says the challenges
faced in searching for the right helpline at a time of
crisis can be a barrier to seeking support.

“What we
know is that people in crisis can struggle to connect with
helplines that best fit their needs for a range of
reasons.

“These barriers can manifest in a number of
ways – including the stigma of reaching out for
help.

“Our aim is to remove the perceptual and
logistic barriers and make the first step taken to connect
with support as seamless as possible.

“We’re
achieving this through a new web-based widget which can be
integrated into a news or social media site around content
which may be a catalyst for a user to seek
help.

“The user can confidentially select the right
service to fit their specific needs and know straight away
whether they offer support for the deaf or hard of hearing
community via text message, are familiar with the issues
facing LGBTQ+ youth or even just knowing which hours they
are open – an issue particularly relevant to regional
services which aren’t always funded for 24/7 support,”
he says.

Live For Tomorrow has also partnered with the
world’s leading short form video app, TikTok, to help
promote mental health and wellbeing resources and content on
the platform.

“Keeping people on TikTok safe is our
top priority and we are at our strongest when we work
together,” says Arjun Narayan, APAC Director of Trust and
Safety at TikTok. “We’re pleased to partner with Live For
Tomorrow to help people connect with services when they need
them, and access content that offers practical advice and
support”.

The charity has also beaten out
international competition to become the only Southern
Hemisphere entrant accepted into the Headstream Accelerator
programme in San Francisco – which is supported by a Melinda
Gates founded investment and incubation company, Pivotal
Ventures.

Taylor says the financial funding and
international recognition from the programme has opened a
number of doors – including the inclusion of their
technology in the online resources of the Pandemic Crisis
Services Response Coalition in the United States, a
coalition of leading mental health organisations across the
country.

He says although still in beta testing at the
time, the chance to be the primary bridge between helplines
and the public during the pandemic has meant they are well
placed to expand their offering globally.

“We’re
launching in New Zealand in support of Mental Health
Awareness week, but within the coming weeks, we’ll launch in
Australia, the Pacific, the UK, Northern Ireland and in
Canada, the Caribbean and the US.

“Once our service
covers the whole English-speaking world, then we will look
for support to be able to localise the tool and get it into
different languages. Our aim is to have one portal that,
wherever you are in the world, and if you’re struggling,
within a matter of clicks you can talk to someone
confidentially about what’s going on,” he
says.

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