Take My Hand

Take My Hand is a peer-to-peer emotional support service operated by Riverside University Health System's Behavioral Health department. It is not therapy and makes no claim to replace therapy, but rather functions as added support for anyone facing emotional distress, stress, or life challenges. The service was born from the Help@Hand Riverside Innovation Program in 2019 and went live on April 17, 2020. It is entirely free and operates as an anonymous live chat platform where trained peer support specialists connect with visitors in real-time to listen, validate concerns, and help build coping skills.

How Take My Hand Works

The entry point is straightforward. You visit the site, choose an anonymous name, and tell the peer operator something about what you need. The service describes this as picking "an anonymous name and tell us a little about you and the chat experience you'd like to have." From there, the chat begins. There is no intake form, no clinical assessment, and no waiting list. You connect immediately to a peer who has lived experience with mental health challenges or substance use and is trained to listen and respond.

The core experience is textual. The peer operator sits with you, listening and validating your concerns, or if you request it, offering resources and feedback. The company describes the role this way: "Our peers are trained to just sit with you and listen or provide resources and feedback if you'd like it." This emphasizes the choice, you control whether you want someone to listen silently or actively brainstorm solutions.

Operating hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 5 PM and Friday 8 AM to 4 PM. You may occasionally encounter a wait time, but the service asks that you either stay in queue or try again later. There is no time limit on individual chats. Once you start, you can talk as long as you need without the operator cutting you off at a set interval.

The technical requirement is internet access to the website. The service is anonymous and does not collect identifying information. According to the FAQ, "TakemyHand™ is an anonymous platform which does not collect any identifying information and does not sell any of your information." This means you do not need to provide a name, email, or phone number to use it.

Who Provides the Support

The people you chat with are Peer Support Specialists, specifically Medi-Cal Certified. The service explains that a Peer Support Specialist is "someone that has life experience with a mental health diagnosis and/or substance abuse issue; and is in recovery and able to role model living life to its fullest potential." These are not therapists or counselors. They are trained employees who have personal experience with the challenges they help others navigate.

Peer Support Specialists go through "a rigorous two-week training that is equivalent to a three-unit college credit class." The training teaches the peer support methodology: connecting through lived experience, listening and validating concerns, offering resources, providing coping strategies, and linking visitors to appropriate services when needed.

If you disclose suicidal thoughts, all peer specialists are trained in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). The service states: "All the Peer Support Specialists operating the chat have been trained in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and can engage in that conversation to determine if higher level of care is needed. We have Clinical Therapists staffed and ready to have a chat transferred to them if a Visitor agrees to the transfer." If the conversation moves into territory requiring clinical expertise, you can be transferred to a Clinical Therapist at no charge. You do not pay to speak with a therapist either; the entire service, including any therapist transfer, is funded by Riverside University Health System.

What The Service Is and Is Not

Take My Hand explicitly clarifies that it is not therapy. The FAQ states: "No, we do not offer therapeutic services nor will this replace any services you currently are participating in. This platform is an added support service that is offered when you need it. We are not therapists." It positions itself as supplemental support, something you use alongside existing care or as a standalone resource if you have no other support.

The service is not a crisis hotline and makes this clear. It states on the site: "TakemyHand is not a crisis service. If you are feeling suicidal please call 911 and request a Mobile Crisis Response Team." Similarly, "If you think you have a psychiatric or medical emergency, call 911 and request a Mobile Crisis Response Team. If you are an immediate danger to yourself or others please request the Community Behavioral Assessment Team." This is an important limitation: if you are in acute crisis, you need emergency services, not a peer chat.

What it does offer is emotional support for non-crisis distress. The site addresses the use case directly: "Facing a life challenge and not sure who to talk to? Are there moments where you feel uncertain to reach out to friends, family or coworkers? Looking for unbiased support?" Take My Hand positions itself as a space for people with challenges who need someone to listen without judgment. These challenges can come "in the form of relationships, habits, finances, physical or emotional health, or spirituality."

The peer operators are mandatory reporters. This means if you disclose abuse or neglect, they are legally required to report it, though only if you provide the information needed for them to do so. Because the platform is anonymous and you do not provide identifying details, reporting depends on you choosing to share that information.

Resources and Scope

Take My Hand can provide referrals to resources. The service has "a large array of local and digital resources" it can share and can help visitors connect with "Behavioral Health services within the RUHS system of care." This means if you live in Riverside County and need ongoing mental health services, the peer operator can help you navigate access to the county's health system. If you live elsewhere, the digital resources they can share are more generic.

The service is available in Spanish through a section called La CLAve, indicating that Spanish-speaking visitors can access peer support in their language.

Cost and Access

Take My Hand is free and entirely funded through Riverside University Health System. No charge applies at any point. There are no hidden tiers, subscriptions, or premium features. The FAQ is explicit: "Is there a fee involved? No. TakemyHand™ is a free community service through Riverside University Health System – Behavioral Health."

Age requirement is 16 and older. The service states: "TakemyHand™ Peer Chat is intended for use by consumers ages 16 and older. Because we care about children and the special challenges they face, RUHS – BH consumers under the age of 16 are strongly discouraged from utilizing this resource and we will provide them with information to connect with Children's Services and age appropriate resources." Younger teens are directed to child-specific services instead.

Geographic reach is formally Riverside County, though the service has no stated restriction on who can access the chat platform itself. However, referrals to Behavioral Health services are tied to the RUHS system, which serves Riverside County.

The service is an accessible, judgment-free alternative to silence when life feels overwhelming and you need someone to talk to, but not an emergency response or a replacement for ongoing clinical care.