John Draper

John Draper, PhD, has more than 30 years of experience in crisis intervention and suicide prevention, and is considered an international expert in crisis contact center practices (e.g., hotline, online chat, and text services).

Since 2004, Dr. Draper has been the executive director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (currently 800-273-TALK; 988 as of July 2022), which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He oversees all aspects of the Lifeline—including its subnetwork, the Disaster Distress Helpline—and its partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs in administering the Veterans Crisis Line.

For more than two decades, Dr. Draper has regularly engaged with print, broadcast, and online media as an expert in crisis services. He has been quoted in publications such as The New York Times, ABC News, the New York Post, and TIME.