Pro Bono Perspectives S3E12: The Trevor Project & Google.org

This Pride Month, we welcome Lena Ballantine, COO of The Trevor Project, which does life-saving work in mental health and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, and Jen Carter, Head of Technology & Volunteering at Google.org and founder of the Google.org Fellowship Program, a pro bono program that matches Google employees with social impact organizations full-time for up to six months.

Since the beginning of COVID-19, the volume of youth reaching out to The Trevor Project has increased significantly, at times as much as doubling. The recent political climate and racial injustices have also contributed to a mental health emergency where 42% of LGBTQ+ youth have “seriously considered” suicide.

In this context, Lena and Jen recap The Trevor Project and Google.org Fellowship Program’s work on the Crisis Contact Simulator, which leveraged cutting-edge AI technology to better equip volunteer counselors to support LGBTQ+ youth during a mental health crisis. Hear about the impact of this project and best practices for ensuring pro bono partnerships are set up for success.

Visit thetrevorproject.org for LGBTQ+ mental health resources and google.org to learn about the Fellowship Program and Google’s other philanthropic works.

Volunteer with The Trevor Project: thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/volunteer

The Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021: thetrevorproject.org/survey-2021