Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has joined forces with Catholic Charities USA and X2AI to provide easy and immediate access to mental health support through a chatbot named “Hope.”
“X2AI’s unique technology will help individuals build resilience through tough times,” said Sister Donna Markham, O.P., Ph.D., president and CEO of CCUSA.
“Catholic Charities seeks the most innovative solutions available to address the needs in the communities it serves, and we are glad our agencies can provide this added benefit to their clients.”
Built by clinical psychologists, the chatbot connects clients through AI-driven text conversations that are available in both English and Spanish 24-hours-a-day, seven-days a week. According to X2AI, research studies found that using the chatbot led to significantly reduced symptoms on average by 28 percent for depression and 18 percent for anxiety. If warranted, the bot can make a connection with a licensed therapist. If someone’s response suggests they are contemplating suicide or are at immediate risk of domestic violence, they will receive an immediate call from a crisis counselor.
“In the past year at X2AI, we provided mental health support to hundreds of thousands of people, and de-escalated thousands of suicidal crisis situations. We are honored to partner with Catholic Charities to make it possible to offer our service free of charge to the many people in need,” said Michiel Rauws, CEO and founder of X2AI.
This program is available to five pilot agencies – including CCAOKC – with the goal of expanding the program to Catholic Charities agencies across the country.
Hope is a free chat service providing encouragement and strategies on how to manage everyday stress and anxiety using chatbot technology.
Text "Hi" to (202) 949-7249
Start code CCAOKC
Anonymous
Available 24/7
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, contact the Suicide Hotline: (800) 273-8255