A.T.L.A.S. TECHNOLOGY, a muti-platform service that employs the use of Therapeutic Short Messaging Service (TSMS), was developed for children with serious emotional disturbances from birth to age of majority and/or for children who have had diagnosable mental, behavioral, and/or emotional disorders.
The benefits of utilizing TSMS with adolescents with certain psychosocial disorders are numerous and include:
- TSMS makes it possible for clients to access services at any time, any day of the week. (must be included in service plan)
- It takes services to clients in remote and under-served regions
- TSMS reaches out to clients who are physically unable to leave their homes
- The service provides confidentiality for clients in small communities, Increase honesty and candor – experience shows clients may be more forthcoming utilizing their phone rather than in person
- TSMS reaches clients who are unwilling for a variety of reasons to seek face-to-face services
- TSMS can give clients access to highly specialized practitioners, since geographical proximity is not an issue
recently reported an awe-inducing 1280% increase in program use. Helping to answer questions and provide counsel for difficult situations in an anonymous, instant way, the service cites that concerns about relationships constitute the most frequently broached subjects. Though feeling overwhelmed, the service is bracing for further increases in use as it works to bring mental health to a whole new platform.
The A.T.L.A.S. TSMS is a distinct form of communication and is highly valued by a subset of society and there are therefore, clear imperatives to utilize as an e-therapy, as a stand alone service, or combined with other school based or community based services.
Therapeutic texting meet clients' expectations and needs. The current review shows that this is not only theoretically possible but actually a developing professional reality.” (Barak et al., 2008, p 148). There is a growing literature base demonstrating the advantages and efficacy of e-therapies.
The fact that many young people have more than one cell phone and frequently more than one SIM card (i.e. multiple accounts and numbers) gives rise to the conclusion that cell phones are a technology that is highly accessible for young people. Further texting is already a common practice of most young adult and its private use in a public environment is not stigmatic.
- TSMS makes services available to clients who are highly mobile, since they can access services from any EDSTAR cell almost anywhere in the US
- TSMS reduces the time needed for the client and practitioner to develop rapport
- The service can make help available to the client at the time of greatest need
- A.T.L.A.S. gives the practitioner access to a larger pool of potential clients which significantly lowers cost
- TSMS makes it feasible for practitioners to develop more specialized practices
- A.T.L.A.S allows practitioners more flexibility in their work schedules
Expansion Of Text Messaging
The use of text messaging to communicate among young people has experienced an incredible growth in recent years, and may have applications that wouldn't seem immediately apparent. Once such application has been the development of a text-based mental health crisis service in New Zealand, which e
