REACH FOR A FRIEND

You do not need perfect words to show up.

Use the L.E.C.F. approach—Listen, Encourage, Connect, Follow Up—to care for a friend without carrying everything alone.

If your friend may be in immediate danger, call 911. For suicidal thoughts or a mental-health crisis, call or text 988 with them. Never promise secrecy when someone may be unsafe.

YOUR GUIDED PATH

Be a bridge, not the whole rescue team

Conversation scripts, safety referrals, and caring boundaries from the original friend-support journey.

STEP 01

Practice the conversation

Step into a branching story and learn what to say when a friend is considering leaving college.

  • Choose the pressure point behind the dropout risk
  • See how each response lands and practice a stronger option
  • Leave with a ready-to-send message, resources, and a 48-hour follow-up plan
Start Help Them Stay ↗
STEP 02

Listen

Start with presence, not solutions.

  • “I noticed you seem overwhelmed. How are you really doing?”
  • “You do not have to explain everything, but I am here to listen.”
  • Avoid judgment, comparisons, lectures, and taking control
STEP 03

Encourage

Reflect their strength without minimizing the situation.

  • “I am glad you told me.”
  • “This sounds heavy, and you deserve support.”
  • “One hard semester does not erase everything you worked for.”
STEP 04

Connect and follow up

Help them reach the right person, then check back specifically.

  • Offer to sit with them while they call financial aid, counseling, or 211
  • Share one or two relevant resources—not a giant list
  • Ask later: “How did the financial-aid call go?”
EFF student resources ↗Find local help ↗
STEP 05

Know the safety options

Match the referral to the situation and protect your wellbeing too.

  • 988: suicide and mental-health crisis
  • 741741: text HOME for Crisis Text Line
  • RAINN and the Domestic Violence Hotline for safety support
  • You can care deeply and still set healthy boundaries
988 Lifeline ↗RAINN ↗Domestic Violence Hotline ↗

KEEP REACHING

One next step is enough for today.

Return to the full hub