ReliefLink vs Virtual Hope Box (new)

*ReliefLink is an innovative free app developed specifically for suicide prevention and more generally for improving your mental health that brings confidential and supportive help right to the palm of your hand! ReliefLink enables you to create a personalized profile that includes pertinent information such as your mental health professional’s contact info, insurance coverage, and current medications. Track your mood and thoughts daily, create a safety plan, make a list of reminders (e.g. appointments, take medication, etc.) and check out the unique coping methods such as voice-recorded mindfulness and relaxation exercises or simply enjoy relaxing music! Need to find mental health help near you, especially in a crisis? Use the Map Locator to find the closest hospitals or other mental health treatment facilities. You can also find help through the therapist and support group links. **Use the Emergency button to view options such as Call 911, Helpline, Counselor, and more. And for encouraging messages or up-to-date mental health news from the ReliefLink Team, follow us on Twitter @relieflink! The ReliefLink App was developed for the purpose of entry into the SAMHSA Suicide Prevention: Continuity of Care and Follow-Up Mobile App Challenge in August 2013. The app won 1st place in the contest in September 2013 and was presented at the White House. *This is app is a supplemental tool to help the user manage his/her daily mental health, monitor suicidal feelings and thoughts, and offer options for seeking help. It should not be used in place of professional mental health or medical help. **The ReliefLink team urges anyone having a medical emergency to call 911 immediately.

The Virtual Hope Box (VHB) is a smartphone application designed for use by patients and their mental health providers as an accessory to treatment. The VHB contains simple tools to help patients with coping, relaxation, distraction, and positive thinking. Patients and providers can work together to personalize the VHB content on the patient's own smartphone according to the patient's specific needs. The patient can then use the VHB away from clinic, continuing to add or change content as needed. Patients can use the VHB to store a variety of rich multimedia content that they find personally supportive in times of need. For example, a patient can include family photos, videos and recorded messages from loved ones, inspirational quotes, music they find especially soothing, reminders of previous successes, positive life experiences and future aspirations, and affirmations of their worth in their VHB. A patient can also collaborate with their provider to create coping cards to use in response to personal problem areas they experience. Finally, the VHB provides the patient with positive activity planning, distraction tools, and interactive relaxation exercises including guided imagery, controlled breathing and muscle relaxation.