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How to Send an SMS to a Survivor
This article is for a:
Case Worker
Send and receive text messages with survivors directly from the Survivor Management System. Every SMS is saved to the survivor's record alongside the rest of your communication history, so anyone working the case sees the full thread.
When a survivor sends you a new SMS, it appears on your dashboard. You can respond to it right there without opening their profile.
Before you start
The survivor needs a phone number on file before you can text them.
This guide is for case workers.
Send a new SMS
Open the survivor's profile. Click into the survivor from your dashboard or cases view, or find them with the search bar in the top right corner.
Open the communication tab at the top of the profile.
Select SMS from the communication options above the text box at the bottom of the screen.
Write your message. SMS is plain text. There is no bold, no hyperlinks, and no headers like email has.
Stay under 640 characters. If you go over, the text box turns red and flags the overage, and you cannot send until you trim the message down. If your message needs more room than that, switch the conversation to email instead. [SCREENSHOT: SMS text box in the over-limit state]
Attach files with the paperclip icon at the bottom left of the text box, if needed. Attachments have a size limit, the same one that applies to email.
Click Send SMS. The message highlights in yellow while it sends, and an Undo button appears in the corner for a few seconds. Clicking Undo returns the message to the text box so you can edit it or start over.
Reply to a specific message
Hover over the survivor's message. A reply icon appears near the timestamp. Click it and the SMS box opens with your response tied directly to that message.
[SCREENSHOT: hover state showing the reply icon near a message timestamp]
Delete a draft
Click the trash can icon at the bottom right of the text box to discard the draft entirely.
Good to know
The 640-character limit is for SMS only. For anything longer, or anything that needs formatting or links, use email from the same communication tab.
Once the undo window closes, the message is sent. [CONFIRM: exact length of the undo window]
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