Facebook launches an initiative a crisis counselor Facebook cha

Facebook on Tuesday launched an initiative that gives users who have expressed suicidal thoughts the option to connect directly with a crisis counselor via Facebook chat. Facebook doesn't troll the site in search of those who might be suicidal; with 800 million users who generate billions of posts, Facebook's algorithm could easily misinterpret comments. Facebook will then email the individual with the number to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or a link to start chatting confidentially with a counselor.

Now Facebook is stepping up its efforts by putting its users directly in touch with help. "The science shows that people experience reductions in suicidal thinking when there is quick intervention," said Lidia Bernik, associate director of Lifeline. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. A new Facebook program aims to prevent suicides by connecting distressed users with counselors via chat.
The program, which launched Tuesday, lets friends alert Facebook when users express suicidal thoughts, reports The Associated Press. If your friend posts a comment related to suicide, for instance, you can report it to Facebook by clicking a link next to the comment. Facebook reps could not be reached for comment on the program, which was identified as “Lifeline.”

The initiative illustrates Facebook’s growing sense of responsibility for users’ lives. Facebook has also stepped out to encourage users and the company’s employees to support gay rights with an Oct. 20 initiative for Spirit Day. This isn’t the first step that Facebook has taken to address suicide rates. In November, an app from SafetyWeb.com appeared on the network that made it easier for users to report suicide threats through Facebook. Facebook is making it easier for people who express suicidal thoughts on the social networking site to get help. A program launching Tuesday enables users to instantly connect with a crisis counselor through Facebook’s “chat” messaging system.

Through email, Facebook also directed users to the hotline or encouraged friends to call law enforcement if they perceived someone was about to do harm. How the service works is if a friend spots a suicidal thought on someone’s page, he can report it to Facebook by clicking a link next to the comment. Facebook then sends an email to the person who posted the suicidal comment encouraging them to call the hotline or click on a link to begin a confidential chat.

Facebook on its own doesn’t troll the site for suicidal expressions, Wolens said. There have been high profile incidents of suicidal expressions on Facebook. In July, police in Pennsylvania said they believed they were able to help prevent a man’s suicide after the man’s friend in California alerted police about a distraught Facebook posting. The Lifeline currently responds to dozens of users on Facebook each day.