January 24, 2017 – The Morrison & Foerster Foundation has provided extensive support for mental health services throughout Japan with a ¥3.6 million grant that will extend TELL’s Lifeline service to young people throughout Japan via the launch of a nationwide text/chat service to provide online emotional support, crisis intervention and suicide prevention services.
TELL is a not-for-profit organization that has provided mental health support and counseling services to Japan’s international community for over 40 years, and the Lifeline offers free, anonymous and confidential counseling and emotional support in times of crisis.
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation enables the people of Morrison & Foerster to focus their charitable giving on nonprofit organizations serving in the communities in which they live and work.
Worldwide 10-20% of children and teens experience mental disorders, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for youths aged 10-14. Youth suicide is typically the result of an underlying mental health problem that is untreated or unsupported, and half of all mental illnesses begin by age 14; three-quarters by the mid-20s. For some youths in Japan facing challenges such as family problems, illnesses, bullying, living in a foreign country or returning from living abroad, the level of stress is even more complex, placing them at increased risk.
“Over the past decade the availability and popularity of mobile devices and smartphones has increased significantly and text messaging has become one of the primary means of adolescent communication,” said Dr. Anne Bille, Chairwoman of the Board of TELL. “Text and chat crisis support programs have proven effective in curbing youth suicides elsewhere in the world, and we are extremely grateful to The Morrison & Foerster Foundation for their generous donation, which will allow us to launch a safe, anonymous text/chat-based Lifeline service we expect will represent a tremendous advance in addressing the mental health needs of youth in Japan.”
“We are proud to support TELL and its launch of this nationwide text/chat service,” said Dale Caldwell, a partner in Morrison & Foerster’s Tokyo office who also serves as vice-president and co-director of the Foundation’s charitable giving in Asia. “This extension of TELL’s Lifeline service acknowledges how youth communicate. It will enable more youth in crisis in Japan to access TELL’s important mental health services.”
About The Morrison & Foerster Foundation
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation is dedicated to giving back to the communities in which Morrison & Foerster LLP has offices. The Foundation is funded primarily by Morrison & Foerster partners, with additional support from other firm attorneys and staff members. One of the oldest law firm-affiliated charitable foundations in the United States, the Foundation has been serving others through community-focused financial support for 31 years. This lasting commitment to purposeful giving is one of the hallmarks of Morrison & Foerster.