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Daniel Fichter

crisiscrowd.org

Daniel Fichter is the founder of CrisisCrowd, an independent project aimed at empowering and enabling connections among crisis hotline staff.1 He has a diverse background in technology and mental health crisis support:

  1. Education and Early Career:
  • Graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics in 20063
  • Worked in various software engineering and leadership roles, including at Moat and The Trevor Project3
  1. Crisis Intervention Experience:
  • Trained as a volunteer crisis counselor for The Trevor Project in 20191
  • Served as Head of AI & Engineering at The Trevor Project from February 2020 to June 20223
  • Briefly worked for SAMHSA on the 988 & Behavioral Health Crisis Team, providing technical oversight for the national rollout of the 988 lifeline13
  1. CrisisCrowd Initiative:
  • Founded CrisisCrowd in June 2023 to empower crisis hotline staff12
  • Conducted a survey of crisis counselors to gather insights on working conditions and standards of care1
  • Published a report on January 24, 2024, detailing the survey findings and making recommendations for improvement4
  1. Other Contributions:
  • Started the 4am Fund to support journalism on mental health and crisis response issues1
  • Has been a donor to MindSite News1

Fichter's work with CrisisCrowd aims to improve the crisis hotline system by amplifying the voices of crisis counselors and identifying areas for enhancement in training, support, and standards of care.14

Highlights

Aug 16 · linkedin

My close friend, Kannan Mahadevan (Iowa Writers' Workshop MFA), is offering an eight-part seminar in creative writing this fall, beginning in October.

It's a chance to finish and workshop your piece in progress with a world-class writing teacher. The seminar is open to writers anywhere in the world (no previous coursework required) and will meet online on Thursdays at 1pm ET.

You can ask questions or register at https://lnkd.in/eVnC4kv5!

Apr 20 · linkedin

A study I’m involved with is looking for people aged 18-25 to participate in an online focus group about dispatching community mental and behavioral health responders to help you, in place of police, when you need urgent help.

Anyone who’s in this age group and lives with mental illness or has used crisis services (like 988, another crisis line, a mobile crisis team, or 911) is encouraged to apply! The online focus group session (led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Columbia University) will take 90 minutes. You’ll receive a $50 Amazon gift card, and you will be helping to advance the national conversation about what sort of care is safest and most helpful to young people in scenarios where police would otherwise be the default first responders.

If you have questions, or want to sign up for the focus group, please contact Amy Watson at [email protected] or 414-251-7470. And please re-post!

(IRB Protocol 22-314, approved 02.08.2023)

Related Questions

What inspired Dan Fichter to transition from a career in business to crisis counseling?
How did Dan Fichter's experience as a volunteer crisis counselor influence his work at CrisisCrowd?
What are the main findings of the survey conducted by Dan Fichter and Greta Opzt?
How does CrisisCrowd plan to implement the recommendations from the survey report?
What challenges did Dan Fichter face when publicizing the survey on social media?
Daniel Fichter
Daniel Fichter, photo 1
Daniel Fichter, photo 2
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Location

Brooklyn, New York, United States