Photo: (Student Spill/Richard Smith)
While a student at University of Wisconsin Madison, Heidi Allstop was facing a landslide of student stresses and needed to spill her guts to someone who understood. She called the student counseling center. They told her there would be a 5-week wait. Five weeks?! Not anymore. Since 2009, Student Spills has been serving up a fast response.
Through a user-friendly online service, students in 18-20 schools around the country (and counting) can reach out anonymously to dump their anxieties, get perspective or ask for help. Trained student responders will get back to them within 24 hours, providing the unique POV of other young people who really relate. Of course, volunteers know where to point people should their problem need professional attention. Student Spill isn't a replacement for therapy; it's a starting point and immediate access to peer support.
The program also helps schools stay connected to what's really going on with the student body. "Whenever we see concerning trends, such as a spike in the number of sexual assaults on a campus, we alert the school. We also work closely with counseling centers to clarify misconceptions about today’s students," Heidi told YPulse. "We try to explain that students are used to connecting and relating online now, and that we don’t want to replace the work that they do, but to be a stepping stone for students who don’t want to go to a counseling center just yet."
With the benefits of online support also come the increased levels of pressure brought on by technology. "Students are more connected, so you’d think they’d be happier, but that’s not the case," she added. "They go on Facebook and see everyone else having a good time, and feel bad because they’re not a part of it."
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