top of page

Lean On Me

University of Maryland

Text (301)-494-8808 to connect with a peer Supporter.

Open 2 PM - 2 AM every day!

umd campus.jpeg

Our mission

Lean On Me strengthens communities by providing peer-to-peer text lines that allow for easy access to confidential non-crisis support. We envision a world where anyone can seek and receive emotional support.

Our chapter

Lean On Me at The University of Maryland, College Park is a chapter of Lean On Me, which was founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2015. To learn more about their impact or inquire about establishing a new chapter, visit their website here.

How our hotline works

Lean On Me allows students to talk to trained peer Supporters in a convenient and anonymous setting. To learn more about our training process, please click here.

typingindicator.png

1. Text our hotline

Text UMD’s hotline number whatever you’d like to talk about! This can range from brief messages such as “All of my friends are busy and I want someone to talk to” to a longer, more serious message. Our Supporters are here to listen and be there for you - the topic is your choice!

notification.png

3. Receive a reply

The expected wait time is just under 5 minutes. While the service is available at any time, please remember that Supporters are your peers, who lead their own busy lives and occasionally remember to sleep. So the wait time for a conversation sent in at 1:00 AM may be longer, and we thank you for understanding that!

exit.png

5. End the conversation

Conversations last for as long as you would like them to, and you can end a conversation with a Supporter at any time by texting “/bye” to the hotline. If you text again you will be matched with a new Supporter and they will not see what you wrote before.

handshake.png

2. Match with a Supporter

Once a text is received, all active Supporters will be informed that a request has come in, and within a few minutes you will be matched with one!

conversation.png

4. Have a conversation

You can now have a conversation with the Supporter! Feel free to text for as long as you like. If you ever feel uncomfortable with a Supporter text “/flag”, and we’ll match you with another! For a full list of commands, text “/help” to the hotline. Supporters never see your slash commands.

star.png

6. Provide feedback

Once a conversation ends, you will be asked to provide feedback, helping make the service better for future users. By no means is this mandatory, but we would really appreciate it. Your input will have a very real effect on the future of Lean On Me, and on changes we make to the service!

Meet our team

gavin.jpg
wix hover image.png

Gavin is a computer science major on the machine learning track. He loves rice!

Gavin Crisologo

He/Him

Co-President

Wren.jpg
wix hover image.png

Wren enjoys crocheting, thrifting, hiking, gaming, and spending time with friends! They're also involved with the UMD Gamer Symphony Orchestra and Hack4Impact-UMD.

Wren Poremba

They/Them

Co-President

amrutha_edited.jpg
wix hover image.png

Amrutha

is a sophomore neuroscience major and data science minor on the pre-med track. She's members of both Moksha, a competitive Indian classical dance team, and The Scribe in AMSA, and she's on the exec board

of Remote Area

Medical!

Amrutha Alibilli

She/Her

Finance

Leon.jpg
wix hover image.png

Leon is a biology major on the pre-med track. He enjoys hanging out with friends and family,  watching movies, playing video games, or going to restaurants and cafes!

Leon Zhang

He/Him

Finance

sragvi_edited_edited_edited.jpg
wix hover image.png

Sragvi is a senior neurobiology/phisiology and psychology double major. She's in the UMD Orchestra, a member of UMD's SHAC, loves to read and bake fun desserts, and is vegan!

Sragvi Pattanaik

She/Her

Training Coordinator

riccy.jpg
wix hover image.png

Riccy is a

kinesiology major. She's

been a pediatric medical assistant for 5 years+ and is a member of UMD's Food Recovery Network! She has a lot of Harry Potter Funk Pops and loves Twilight, the Weeknd, to spend time with family, and try new food places!

Riccy Gonzales

She/Her

Training Coordinator

tanvi.jpg
wix hover image.png

Tanvi is a sophomore neurophysics major and business minor. She has been dancing since she was 5 years old!

Tanvi Bolarum

She/Her

Training Coordinator

elli.jpg
wix hover image.png

Elli, a psychology and

human development major,
is part of Alpha Phi Omega

(a UMD service fraternity). She's also a research assistant in the cognition & development lab! In her free time she enjoys crocheting and spending time outdoors! Fun fact, she doesn't have

middle name!

Elli Papasava

She/Her

March Coordinator

anna-011.jpg
wix hover image.png

Anna is a sophomore microbiology student on the pre-PA track. When she isnt in class, she enjoys hanging out with friends and listening to music.

Anna Davis

She/Her

Marketing Coordinator

IMG_0087 2_edited.jpg
wix hover image.png

Rina is a second year psychology major and nonprofit leadership minor. She loves spending time running and going on long walks with friends. She also loves spending time with her 8 siblings!

Rina Aschemann

She/Her

Marketing Coordinator

IMG_5472.jpg
wix hover image.png

Megha is a sophomore psychology student that wants to become a psychologist! She enjoys watching movies and trying out new food. 

Megha Mellacheruvu

She/Her

Marketing Coordinator

IMG_3123.JPG
wix hover image.png

Tulsi is a senior public health science and general biology major. She loves to run, try new places to eat, and spend time with friends!

Tulsi Patel

She/Her

Marketing Coordinator

ketki.jpg
wix hover image.png

Ketki is studying public health in the BS+MPH program. She enjoys reading, watching reality TV with her friends, and baking!

Ketki Shah

She/Her

Supporter Coordinator

aliza.jpg
wix hover image.png

Aliza is a sophomore business info systems major pursuing a minor in sustainability. She loves Gracie Abrams and Conan Gray!

Aliza Syyid

She/Her

Supporter Coordinator

tanvi.jpg
wix hover image.png

Tanvi is a sophomore  pre-med, neuroscience major! She's on the Maryland Manzar Dance team and has been dancing since she was 5 years old! She also loves to bake and read and occasionally ice skate!!

Tanvi Kotta

She/Her

Supporter Coordinator

Our impact

Follow us on Instragram

Yoga on Beach

Join Us for Sunset Yoga  

Come join us for some sylly week sunset yoga! Bring your own blankets and we'll bring the relaxing vibes! 

September 3rd, 2023

La Plata Beach

  • Who are the peer Supporters?
    Supporters are volunteers who share your experiences and are excited to converse with you! They are your peers, as determined by the context of the hotline. (For example, the UMD hotline's supporters are all UMD students.) While they are not formally licensed or certified, they do go through our Supporter training.
  • How can I be a part of Lean On Me in my community?
    We're always looking for more people to join the team! If you're interested in applying to be a peer Supporter, please visit your chapter's Join page for more information. If you'd like to be a part of the Lean On Me organizational team or software development squad, please email us at team@lean0n.me!
  • Can I start a Lean On Me hotline?
    If you're part of a group that's interested in having a Lean On Me hotline, please email us at team@lean0n.me and our team will get back to you as soon as possible. Our service is still in the development phase, but we are looking to expand to other universities as well as other organizations in the future, and would love to start a conversation with you now!
  • How anonymous is it, really?
    Our goal is to create a low-barrier, stigma-free, peer support network. That means that we take steps to ensure that when you text in, neither you nor the peer you match with see each other's phone number. While we know how many repeat users we've had, we won't know who those users are, where they live etc. (unless you choose to disclose that information, of course). That also means that we're peers, not professionals, and maintain some information - including your phone number and conversation history - so that we can transfer you to a mental health professional if the Supporter you're speaking to feels out of their depth. Because we care about your health and safety, we might also give your contact information to the authorities in certain cases.
  • Is this also a suicide hotline? Can I text in a crisis situation?
    We are not a suicide hotline, nor are we trained to deal with crisis-level situations. We're just kind peers willing to listen and talk, but if you need urgent help or find yourself in a crisis, please call 911, or text "HOME" to the National Crisis Textline at 741-741.
  • How can I provide feedback?
    Feedback is always welcome! If you have a suggestion, please drop us a line at team@lean0n.me! We are constantly thinking about how to improve the Lean On Me network and technology, so we would love to hear from you.

Become a peer supporter

Applications for new supporters open at the beginning of each semester! No prior experience is necessary, and all new supporters undergo comprehensive training.

lyingdownwhite.png

Let us Lean On You, so that more people can Lean On Us!

bottom of page