Counslr, the text-based mental health support mobile app, announced today the launch of several initiatives to address the increasing need nationwide for more accessible mental health resources for young athletes, which was recently highlighted in the NCAA Mental Health Report. The mental health text messaging app recently formulated partnerships with nonprofits focused on empowering student-athletes and supporting their well-being, and also launched Counslr Chats – a video series designed to minimize the stigma surrounding help-seeking behavior.
Counslr kicked off its virtual interview series with an episode focused on student-athlete mental health,entitled Counslr Chats: Beyond the Game - An Instant Replay of Student Athlete Mental Health. The episode featured a panel of elite high school, college, and former professional athletes who discussed the unique pressures that athletes face, and the associated impact on mental health. The conversation further underscored that accessible mental health support is needed now more than ever.
Panelists included:
- John Wallace | Former Syracuse University Player and Former Pro Basketball Player (Knicks, Raptors, Pistons, Suns, Heat)
- Kenneth Satterfield | Former University of Cincinnati Player and Former Pro Basketball Player (Mavericks, Nuggets, 76ers)
- Chase Audige | Former Northwestern University Player and Current Guard for the NBA G League's Windy City Bulls
- Kyle Cuffe, Jr. | Current Guard for Syracuse University
- Robert Wright | Current Top High School Player Point Guard for Montverde Academy High School and Committed to Baylor University
- Kiyan Anthony | Current Top High School Player at Long Island Lutheran High School
- Nigel James, Jr. | Current Top High School Player at Long Island Lutheran High School
A video recording of that discussion can be viewed here.
In tandem with the new digital Counslr Chats video series, the Counslr app will now be available to youth athletes who are members of nonprofit organization New Heights Youth, Inc. Under the pilot program, youth athletes from a handful of teams will have access to the Counslr app, which includes unlimited texting sessions with Counslr’s licensed and vetted mental health support professionals, available on-demand, 24/7/365.
“We are thrilled to begin working with the Counslr team to provide our underserved student athletes with critical mental health resources,” said Gregory Louis, Director of Programs for New Heights Youth, Inc. “Athletes today face tremendous pressure that previously didn’t exist – on and off the court; by offering Counslr’s text-based support, we enable our athletes to successfully navigate any mental health struggles - big or small - and develop the skills necessary for maintaining mental wellness throughout their lives.”
Additionally, Counslr announced a partnership with Backyard Sports Cares, to raise awareness around the need for athletes to prioritize their mental health alongside their physical health.
“Backyard Sports Cares believes that quality teaching and coaching focuses on the whole person, not just the athlete. We are excited about our partnership with Counslr which provides access to affordable, accessible and discrete text-based mental health services with licensed counselors 7 days a week, 24 hours a day; allowing a diverse range of students and athletes who may not otherwise seek support, to take advantage of these widely needed services,” Dillon Faulkner, Associate Director, Backyard Sports Cares.
For more information on Counslr, please visit: www.counslr.com.
ABOUT COUNSLR
Counslr is a text-based mental health support application that provides unlimited access to live texting sessions with licensed professionals, 24/7/365. Users can access support on-demand within two minutes of opening the app, or by scheduled appointment. Through real-time texting, users enjoy one-on-one, private communication with a licensed counselor that can be conducted anytime, anywhere. Counslr was designed to help individuals deal with life’s day-to-day issues, empowering individuals to address concerns while they are “small” to help ensure that they stay “small”. Counslr partners with organizations of all shapes and sizes (companies, unions, nonprofits, universities/colleges, high schools, etc) so that these entities can provide Counslr’s services to their employees/members/students at no direct cost. For more information, please visit www.counslr.com.
ABOUT NEW HEIGHTS YOUTH, INC.
Founded in 2005, New Heights Youth, Inc. is a New York City-based non-profit organization that combines sports programming with a full range of educational and mentoring services that support college and career readiness, social emotional learning, and physical and mental health for youth who come from marginalized and under-resourced communities. The organization's mission is to educate and empower promising underserved youth to be leaders, champions and student-athletes by developing the skills necessary for success in high school, college and life. www.newheightsnyc.org.
