TalkCampus Frequently Asked Questions
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TalkCampus is a peer support platform accessible from mobile and desktop where students from around the world come together to give and get support within a safe, supportive infrastructure.
The TalkCampus app can be downloaded from Google Play and the App Store, and it’s also accessible from desktop here. Once you sign up to TalkCampus with your college/university, your entire student body will have instant, ongoing access to the platform using their university email address.
TalkCampus is not a crisis support service. However, we support students to discuss difficult feelings with strict community guidelines in place to ensure this is done safely. If we identify that a student is at risk of harm, we escalate them in real time to relevant crisis support, including informing their place of study via a customizable escalation pathway.
TalkCampus combines unique machine-learning classifiers with a combination of Trust & Safety experts and clinical staff to provide real-time escalation and moderation at a massive scale. We identify within milliseconds whether a student is at risk and use this information to provide timely, relevant support.
The benefits of peer support are wide-ranging and well-evidenced. Peer support can be an effective mechanism to support people with anxiety, depression, addiction and many other mental health issues. Participating in peer-to-peer support has been linked to an increased ability to cope, a greater sense of wellbeing and resilience, higher levels of self-esteem and confidence.
Since using our platform:
Over 70% of students feel less isolated
79% feel more able to cope with life
82% feel more understood
Yes! TalkCampus is a global platform for students from all over the world. We can support your entire student population wherever they are. TalkCampus works well for students who are studying overseas as they can often feel isolated and struggle being away from home.
Yes! There are many mature students in the community, often studying part-time or remotely. TalkCampus is a great way to help people feel connected to their place of study and foster communities, making it easier for mature students to feel included and connected. The fact that TalkCampus is accessible on desktop and mobile and available round the clock can also help those students juggling busy lives.
TalkCampus has been built from the ground up solely for students. We don’t feel that it is safe for students to be engaging with other demographics through the platform. That’s why they are required to sign in and verify their student status before using the platform.
TalkCampus is based on peer support with students supporting students. However, TalkCampus is safeguarded by our professional team of Trust & Safety experts and clinical staff who are constantly monitoring the platform.
Yes! That’s the beauty of a global student community. TalkCampus has users located all over the world, across multiple time zones, so there will always be someone online ready to connect with your students. Additionally, our global safety team is working around the clock and will be available to intervene in real time if a student is struggling.
We know how important reporting is and we offer extensive de-identified quarterly reporting across both engagement and sentiment on the platform, benchmarking your students against the community as a whole and providing you with valuable feedback. We also provide real time incident reporting.
Rather the contrary! In our experience, TalkCampus takes the pressure off existing services, providing upstream support for students and ensuring that they receive help while waiting for counseling services. Our safeguarding and escalation procedures are extremely robust and we work with you to devise reporting and escalation that works for your institution.
Becoming a mental health volunteer is a fantastic opportunity for your students. Whether as part of their course or as a desire to learn new skills and give something back, students can take part in our online peer support training and become buddies on TalkCampus.
This is a flexible, enjoyable way for students to give back by volunteering whilst juggling the demands of student life. We teach valuable life skills across active listening, conveying empathy online, boundaries, and self-care. We offer full training, ongoing support, and clinical supervision as standard.
If you believe your life or the life of someone you know is in danger and are in need of urgent help, please see Additional Resources where there is more information and links to global crisis support centers around the world.
It is informal support shared between peers rather than professionals. Peer support relies on students using their own personal experiences to help each other. It provides a sense of connection that’s essential for our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.
The reason we ask you to use your official university or college email address is for one purpose only: authentication and verification of your student status. TalkCampus is a network exclusively for students and using your University or College email address is the most reliable way to make sure no one else can gain access to the platform. This means it remains a safe space for the community it is intended for.
Please be reassured that TalkCampus is a confidential third party support service where your identity is protected. TalkCampus will not share personal identifying details or interactions of those using the platform, either with the University or any other third parties.
Your privacy matters to us. Please find the TalkCampus Privacy Policy here.
Data is collected and used for the purpose of gathering insights on how the platform is being used. Your TalkCampus data is de-identified, and never shared with third parties or advertisers. We encourage you to learn more about how we use your data through our privacy policy which can be found here.
The ONLY circumstance under which anonymity may be broken is if a student expresses explicit intent to harm oneself or others. If this is the case, we will reach out to you and support you to contact relevant places for you to get help. We will also be in touch with your University or College to make them aware if they have agreed that they would like us to do this.
TalkCampus Admins
TalkCampus has a global safety team working around the clock to remove inappropriate content, and users within seconds. Administrators are professional staff trained in moderation and safeguarding. Administrators review flagged content and content removed by the Moderators and have oversight of the platform 24/7. Administrators can also suspend and ban users.
Moderators
A moderator is a TalkLife volunteer who has gone through a thorough recruitment, training and assessment process to be able to remove content on TalkLife. Moderators remove content that is against the TalkLife Community Guidelines. Everything that is removed by a moderator is reviewed by an administrator. Moderators are members of the TalkLife community that want to give back and support others.
TalkCampus buddies/trained volunteers
A buddy is a volunteer from the TalkCampus community who wants to give back and support others. TalkCampus volunteers go through training and assessment and learn how to support others online including active listening, conveying empathy and self-care. Buddies are there to welcome you in the community and support you as you work through the ups and downs of life.
TalkLife Clarity AI
TalkCampus is monitored by the TalkLife Clarity AI and moderation engine. TalkLife Clarity uses machine learning models to classify content shared on TalkCampus in order to facilitate faster support and provide additional moderation when needed.
TalkCampus has a number of mechanisms that make it safe to use, including tools for anonymously reporting bullying and inappropriate or concerning posts. These alert administrators and moderators take appropriate action to review and resolve any issues raised.
TalkCampus is primarily an English speaking network, however, our TalkCampus Buddies can support you across 26 languages including Swedish, Dutch, Arabic, German, Russian, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Hindi, Korean, Odia, Bengali, Urdu, Spanish, Tswana, Afrikaans, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Greek & Portuguese.
Of course! Please email us on support@talklife.co.