Trust Is the Foundation.
Trust is at the heart of everything we did when designing KATE. We built this chatbot to ensure that people anywhere in the United States, in more than 60 languages, and across all cultural backgrounds can access proven, data-backed information about substance use and harm reduction without fear of judgment or stigma.
We have localized information from our work at Overdose Lifeline, the CDC and have combed our list of over 150 local charity partners who are leaders in this work. While we wish we lived in a world where substance use wasn’t met with silence or shame, we know the reality: stigma still runs deep. When a family loses someone to addiction, there’s no line of neighbors at the door with casseroles. That’s why trust isn’t just a feature of KATE, it’s the foundation.
Privacy by Design
To protect that trust, we’ve built KATE on a completely secure, closed server. It’s intentionally designed so that no IP addresses can be tracked, and no identifying information is stored. Not even our developers can see who is using the tool. We are committed to maintaining that anonymity, because every person deserves a safe, private space to seek help, ask questions, and find hope without fear of being watched or judged.
For more information about how KATE works or if you would like to utilize KATE on your own website, please contact HELLOKATE@overdoselifeline.org
