ReachOut and On the Line partnership to boost out-of-hours support on ReachOut Forums

09 June 2016

ReachOut and teleweb counselling service On the Line have partnered to deliver more out-of-hours support to people using ReachOut forums. On the Line will now monitor the ReachOut peer support forums outside of business hours – when the majority of 600+ weekly forum posts are made.

The new partnership extends monitoring by an additional 37 hours per week, ensuring that forum users affected by urgent issues, such as young people at risk of suicide or self-harm, those affected by abuse or chronic mental health conditions, and parents who raise serious concerns about their teenagers connect with crisis help services as soon as possible.

The partnership recognises the strengths of each organisation: ReachOut in online service delivery and peer support, and On the Line in crisis teleweb and counselling services.

Jono Nicholas, CEO of ReachOut Australia, said ‘By working with On the Line, we're able to enhance the help our peer support forums provide. On the Line’s extensive experience and clinical rigour will strengthen the support we provide to young people and parents, making sure our forums remain safe and helpful at all times.’

On the Line provides 24/7 professional telephone, video and online-chat counselling services to people regardless of their geography or circumstance, delivering services including MensLine Australia, The Suicide Call Back Service, and social media monitoring.

On the Line acting CEO Linda Kensington, said ‘We're delighted to begin work with ReachOut on their peer support forums, which provide an invaluable support mechanism for young people anywhere in Australia. By combining our expertise, together we can connect young people and parents of teenagers with the right mental health information and support.’

On the Line will provide out-of-hours monitoring of the ReachOut peer support forums for young people and parents of teenagers, review new posts during the night and on weekends, and make sure that all members receive appropriate support, including referrals to crisis helplines, other online help information and emergency services.

The partnership extends ReachOut’s service offering by providing a multi-disciplinary clinical governance structure for more frequent checks outside of business hours over a total of 51 hours per week – ensuring safety during the busiest times on the ReachOut forums.

Check out the ReachOut Peer Support Forums and the ReachOut Parents Community.