Train as a Crisis Text Line counselor
Text-based crisis support for people in distress. Requires 200 hours of training and a one-year commitment — serious work with real stakes and real reward.
Why we picked this
This one asks more of you than most — the training is real, the commitment is real, and so is what you're doing for the person on the other end of the conversation.
Crisis Text Line connects people in crisis with trained volunteer counselors over text message, 24 hours a day. As a volunteer Crisis Counselor, you exchange text-based conversations with people experiencing anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, abuse, and other acute situations. You won’t be working alone — a paid supervisor monitors conversations in real time and is available to guide you through any interaction. The platform provides all the structure; your job is to show up and be present.
The commitment is significant: 200 hours of self-paced online training before you take your first shift, followed by a minimum of 200 hours of counseling over the course of a year (roughly four hours per week). You’ll also need to pass a background check before training begins. Crisis Text Line accepts volunteers 18 and up with no prior mental health credentials required — the training is comprehensive enough to prepare you for the work.
This isn’t the right fit for everyone, and that’s okay. But if you’re looking for something that asks more of you and returns more in kind, this is it. Denver residents can complete the entire application, training, and volunteer commitment from home. Visit crisistextline.org to read about what counselors experience and start your application — the site includes detailed FAQs about the training process and what shifts look like.