Transforming mental health outcomes for young people.
What if, instead of making two million young people with mental health issues wait for treatment that may never come, we gave them the tools they need to help themselves, and each other?
That’s exactly what we have done!
Welcome to Tellmi, our safe, inclusive digital community where young people can help themselves and each other. Tellmi is a scalable mental health solution and our evidence based innovation is transforming outcomes for young people and generating substantial savings for the NHS.
Tellmi is…
Pre-moderated, anonymous peer support
Preemptive counsellor intervention for young people in crisis
Scheduled 1-2-1 Solution Focused Therapy
A directory of 700+ crisis, specialist, local and national resources
Available all day, every day. No referrals. No waiting.
“We are so pleased to be working with Tellmi. This is one of the few platforms where young autistic people can connect with each other, feel less isolated, and benefit from peer support. Our ongoing research is evaluating if Tellmi is reducing the mental health crisis that so many autistic people experience.”
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University
“Working with Tellmi is like discovering the perfect harmony between innovation and empathy. Tellmi has proven to be an invaluable ally in our mission to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Somerset. The platform exemplifies compassion and a genuine commitment to making a positive difference.”
Rose Firth, Commissioning Manager for Children’s Health Somerset NHS
“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone in the Tellmi community for being so supportive to me when I was at my very lowest point. I don’t think if I would be alive right now if I had not discovered Tellmi. Thank you so much to everyone who has been so very kind to me. I will never ever forget you.”
Tellmi user, age 17
Measurable outcomes in monthly data drops.
82% of young people said that Tellmi connects them to other young people with similar problems
79% of young people said that using Tellmi helped them to feel less alone
72% of young people feel better when they use Tellmi
Data from the Tellmi independent evaluation conducted by the Evidence Based Practice Unit at University College London
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To keep our users safe all posts and replies are checked by trained human moderators before they go live. The moderators screen out harmful or unhelpful content and anything that might reveal the users real identity. This prevents bullying, harassment and grooming. Posts containing high risk content are redirected to the counselling team for a private reply. This preemptive counselling approach is what makes Tellmi so special. Young people don’t even have to ask for help, it comes straight to them.
The Tellmi app is age-banded; people under the age of 18 only see posts from other people within two years of their age. Adults only see posts from other adults. The directory is also personalised according to the user's age.
On registration everyone must provide a validated email address or phone number. This information is encrypted and can only be accessed by the safeguarding team in the event that we need to provide urgent support. Users give us permission to share their details with emergency service if we believe that they are at risk.
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Tellmi has proven to be a popular support service for young people from marginalised backgrounds and those facing health inequalities, for example young people from black or asian communities, young people with autism or ADHD and young people in care or from areas of deprivation. Because Tellmi is quick, easy to use and anonymous, there is no judgement or stigma. Young people consistently tell us that they appreciate how safe the community feels because everything gets checked before it is published. Our safety features give young people the confidence to talk about whatever is on their mind and they use the Directory to find new ways to support themselves.
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Peer support enables young people to share similar life experiences and provide each other with support, advice and empathy. It creates a sense of belonging and evidence shows that the person who is helping benefits as much as the person who is being helped. Who better to support a 16 year old who is anxious about their upcoming GCSE’s than a 17 year old who felt exactly the same way six months earlier.
Research consistently shows that peer support can improve quality of life, wellbeing, self-esteem and social functioning. It has also been shown to reduce hospital admission rates and the use of GP and A&E services.
Peer support is often accessed through face to face support groups, but digital peer support allows young people to connect with others outside of their immediate social circles at any time of the day or night. Anonymity encourages openness and can protect against the harmful effects of stigma. Young people tell us that they use Tellmi to practise talking about their worries in order to gain the confidence to seek real world support. To learn more about the academic research into peer support, click here.
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Tellmi provides support for all four quadrants of the iTHRIVE model.
Getting Advice: In-app Directory of 700+ national resources and services plus local mapping in commissioned areas
Getting Help: Anonymous and pre-moderated peer support
Getting Risk Support: Preemptive counselling
Getting More Help: Scheduled text-based Solution Focused Therapy
Get in touch
If you’d like to know more about Tellmi and how we can help you to support young people, do get in touch.
Tellmi is committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040 for emissions scopes 1, 2 and 3.
The commitment was made on 06.02.2023 by the Tellmi board.