The new Native YouthLine in Warm Springs held a grand opening of its space in the Prevention Building on Wednesday, September 21st. Native YouthLine is a crisis and support hotline for teens that gives them an option to talk, text, or chat with a peer about issues they are dealing with in a safe and confidential way.
YouthLine is a teen-to-teen youth crisis and support service provided by Lines for Life—a non-profit dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide. Rosanna Jackson, who works with the Warm Springs Prevention and Suicide Prevention Programs, has been working together with Lines For Life for the past few years to start a YouthLine for indigenous youth. She has worked closely with Mel Butterfield, the Assistant Director for YouthLine in Central Oregon and Native YouthLine.
An advantage of teen-to-teen support is that it’s an option youth may feel more comfortable with. The ability to connect in multiple ways, call, text, chat and messaging, can encourage teens to reach out. The work is also beneficial to the well-being of the peer volunteers, who gain skills in managing their own mental health while helping others.
Youth ages 15-19 who have an interest in training to be a peer volunteer, or who would like more information can contact Rosanna Jackson at [email protected] or Mel Butterfield at [email protected].
