MESA launches new text line for sexual violence survivors, loved ones

Moving to End Sexual Assault, or MESA, an initiative of nonprofit Mental Health Partners that has provided support and services to survivors of sexual violence since 1972, tpday will launch a new texting service to complement its 24-hour phone hotline. 

The MESA hotline is the only sexual violence resource center serving Boulder County since its inception and has served as a primary way for survivors, families and friends to get emotional support and referrals to resources as well as a prevention and education program, according to Director Janine D’Anniballe. 

“The text line is another way to offer our client services for people who experience sexual violence, and will serve as a supplement to the hotline,” said Lindsey Breslin, program supervisor at MESA. “While (the hotline) will still be our main resource, we want to make (the service) more accessible.” 

The text line will operate for 12 hours a day, from noon to midnight Monday through Friday. To reach MESA and receive support, people only need to text the word BRAVE to 20121.

The service is available in English and Spanish. 

“Services are the same through the hotline and the text line. People are provided emotional support in the moment and given options if it (sexual violence) was a recent experience, if they want to file a report, need a medical exam, are seeking therapy or other resuorces,” Breslin said. “(After the initial interaction,) people can sign up to get ongoing victim advocacy, to help them with additional resources or navigating the criminal justice system.”

The vision and development of the text line has been underway for a while in an effort to reach a younger generation of adults and teenagers that prefer text as a main form of communication, she said, adding lower-income segments of the population often have unlimited text access but limited phone options. 

“This makes it more accessible in a way that (people) prefer or in the only way they can access it,” Breslin said.

During COVID, people also might be experiencing more isolation or feeling disconnected to sources of information, support and coping, and the text line can provide another avenue of communication to reach out in times of distress, D’Anniballe said. 

“We really wanted to make sure (the text line) was for people who were not going to pick up the phone, whether that's teenagers, younger people, or people who would just rather text in their own language. We see it as a way to break down some barriers,” she said. 

All texts and phone calls MESA receives are confidential and the organization has no association with any police or law enforcement agency, according to Laura Avila, bilingual victim advocate.

“People can call in (or text) when they experience sexual violence, whether it was two hours or 20 years ago,” Breslin said, adding family members, friends and even service providers can use the service to ask questions or find additional services for survivors. 

To receive immediate assistance or speak with an advocate from the 24-hour hotline, call 303-443-7300. For all other inquiries, call the MESA office at 303-443-0400.