Throughout his service term, Ben Duenas has made significant strides in crisis intervention and management. Ben earned bilingual crisis intervention and crisis management certifications which has allowed him to support both English and Spanish-speaking individuals in need.
Ben has gone above and beyond during his service term and has taken advantage of many opportunities presented to him at Crisis Text Line. Ben has collaborated with other team members, AmeriCorps members, and departments within CTL. He assisted in building capacity by reviewing volunteer applications and analyzing 988 conversations, served with fellow AmeriCorps members during a virtual wellness event, and served alongside the CTL Volunteer Experience Department on numerous projects throughout his term. Ben has also completed a 6-week video presence training on Better On, which he believes has helped develop his skills being on camera.
Ben is grateful for the support provided by Coe Bethea, who led the Better On video training, and Briana Hollis, his supportive and encouraging host site supervisor. When asked about his service term, Ben noted, "Healthy Minds Alliance and Crisis Text Line have both treated me with great respect and care. This has been an awesome experience and I believe it has opened many doors for me. I am grateful for all of the support everyone has given me throughout this experience."
In the Fall of 2024, Ben plans to attend the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where he will pursue a Master of Science in Business Analytics degree. Inspired by his service experience, he also expresses a keen interest in continuing to serve in a similar capacity in the future.
Ben's dedication, achievements, and future education goals truly exemplify the spirit of AmeriCorps service! We are proud to highlight his journey and look forward to seeing the positive impact he will continue to make.
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