My Companion App
“The My Companion App is a great way for youth in our community and state to interact in a positive, healthy way and to have the suicide prevention resources in their hands when and if needed,”
– Dr. Dave Miers
Suicide Prevention App
RELEASED IN WINTER 2022
The Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition (NSSPC) began work on My Companion in July 2018 in collaboration with Don’t Panic Labs and Boys Town National Hotline. The app was released in January 2022.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Nebraskans between the ages 15 and 24, and overall, it is the 10th leading cause of death in the state. Therefore, the app is targeted at youth, aiming to prevent youth suicide in Nebraska and help students cope with mental health issues.
My Companion has a variety of features divided into four primary tabs:
Reflections
Log daily reflections.
Connections
Input contacts who could be reached in an emergency.
Resources
Access resources for suicide prevention.
Emergency
Quick access to reach hotlines and submit anonymous tips.
Privacy Policy
Policy effective March 1, 2021
The Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition (“we”) is committed to protecting your privacy. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the application.
You do not have to disclose any information to visit our application. However, while browsing some resources, you may find your needs can be better accessed by disclosing some information. The information you provide will not be sold, traded, or leased to any other organization.
We may use demographic information that does not personally identify you and/or information you voluntarily provide, to improve the features of the site or for general statistical purposes. When a user (“you” or “your”) downloads and uses the My Companion app there is never any personal information collected. Any information you share within the app, including photos or other media, reflections, etc., will never be collected by, stored by or shared by or with Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition, or any other third-party sites or sources. Information entered by a user within the application is stored on your smartphone and can only be viewed and accessed by you. It is recommended that you review all privacy settings and permissions on your smartphone and update those if required.
We reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes by updating the effective date of this Privacy Policy. You are encouraged to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed of updates, and will be deemed to have been made aware of and to have accepted the changes in any revised Privacy Policy by your continued use of the Application after the date such revised Privacy Policy is posted.
Background
Work on My Companion began in July 2018, and it was created in collaboration with Don’t Panic Labs and Boys Town National Hotline. It was modeled after a similar app released in Utah under the name SafeUT.
According to the 2020 SafeUT Annual Report, over 800,000 students have access to the app, and between August 2019 and May 2020, there were over 500 life saving interventions initiated because of the app. Their website boasts several success stories, and the creators of the My Companion app hope to see similar success in Nebraska.
“The application allows youth to communicate their feelings in a journal-like format and to create a support system and crisis system including warning signs of suicide and access to emergency resources”
Dr. Dave Miers
Founder of the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition
Your Support Matters
NSSPC relies on the generosity of in-kind donations, private foundations, and grants to continue the work of preventing suicide in Nebraska. All money given to NSSPC is invested right back into our communities by directly supporting suicide prevention and postvention efforts!
Get in Touch
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