OMAHA, Nebraska (WOWT) – The Boys Town National Hotline has developed a new tool to improve mental wellness called “Your Life Your Voice,” a free smartphone application that complements its website.
Users can track their moods over time.
“You can take photos. You can take videos of yourself or something like that,” explained hotline manager Oscar Gonzalez.
The app was launched ten years ago, but the new version has been revamped. Gonzalez said the app is an ongoing investment.
“It’s only until you step back and really understand, ‘Oh, there’s a trend,'” Gonzalez said.
There are videos online and in the app with helpful information on how to deal with these emotions.
“We want to make sure it’s relevant and up-to-date,” he said. “The tools and tips will be adapted to what’s happening in the world right now.”
The first step to solving it is to identify a problem.
“It works well for one person, but it really comes into its own when you’re with a partner.”
The latest figures show that the Boys National Hotline has received fewer calls compared to previous years.
In 2021, it recorded around 124,000 contacts by telephone and web.
In 2023, around 111,000 contacts were received. That is around 13,000 fewer.
However, separate from the hotline is the website Your Life Your Voice. During the same years, the website Your Life Your Voice has seen over 25% more traffic.
“We know that today’s youth use different modalities. It used to be a phone call. That was the only mechanism. Then email came when email came out. So we wanted to make sure we had an application that gave them a toolset to support them in their daily activities.”
Additionally, both the app and website offer 24/7 human support options.
Users of the app can transfer all their data to the new version. The Apple version is available now. We’re told the Android version will be available soon.
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