Hope chatbot providing more than “Hope” to Catholic Charities’ clients

OKLAHOMA CITY – Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City today released statistics on an AI-based texting platform that provides immediate access to mental health support through a chatbot named “Hope.”

“Accessibility to mental health care is a major challenge in this country, and we saw throughout the pandemic that depression and anxiety were at an all-time high. We had high hopes for the chatbot technology to mitigate some of the stresses for our clients, and the feedback from our clients has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Amy Shipman, director of counseling at Catholic Charities.

Hope was developed by clinical psychologists to extend mental health assistance to those in need. It is a free chat service providing encouragement and strategies on how to manage everyday stress and anxiety. The technology uses self-learning artificial intelligence. The more a person interacts with Hope, the more she can help.

Catholic Charities USA joined with X2AI in 2021 to provide this preventative and proactive technology to five pilot agencies to test the service. The first-of-its-kind program was first made available to CCAOKC in May 2021. 

Hope chatbot has proven effective since its inception. Since the launch of the program, 15,932 messages were exchanged between Hope and users. 93% of users have rated Hope as helpful. All correspondence is confidential and anonymous. 

“We have been able reach more people within the diocese, especially our rural communities. Since Hope is available in both English and Spanish 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the convenience gives you more of an on-demand service,” said Shipman.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. One in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. Along with Hope chatbot services, Catholic Charities also offers outpatient counseling for families, children and individuals. 

Text “Hi” to (202) 949-7249

Start code “CCAOKC”

Anonymous

Available 24/7

Hope is not a substitute for crisis situations. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, contact the Suicide Hotline: (800) 273-8255.

To learn more, call 405-523-3000 or visit ccaokc.org online.

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About Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City

Guided by Catholic teaching, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City serves those in need, regardless of their faith, through transformative, empowering and dignity-affirming social service programs that seek to eliminate material, emotional and spiritual poverty across Central and Western Oklahoma. To learn more, call 405-523-3000, visit ccaokc.org, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.