Teen Lifeline Inc

TO PREVENT TEEN SUICIDE BY ENHANCING RESILIENCY IN YOUTH AND FOSTERING SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES.

PEER COUNSELING HOTLINE GROWING UP IS COMPLICATED, SOMETIMES DIFFICULT, CONFUSING AND OVERWHELMING. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT WHEN TEENS WANT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO TURN TO THEIR PEERS FIRST. THAT IS WHAT MAKES TEEN LIFELINE SO UNIQUE OUR PEER-TO-PEER MODEL. THROUGH CALLING OR TEXTING THE HOTLINE, TEENS CAN TALK TO SOMEONE THEIR OWN AGE WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH BECAUSE THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH IT TOO. TRAINED TEEN PEER COUNSELORS ARE HELPING TEENS TO FIND A CONNECTION OF HOPE, BUILD HEALTHY COPING SKILLS AND LEARNING PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS TO MAKE HEALTHY DECISIONS. OUR HOTLINE ASSISTS TROUBLED YOUTH THROUGH ARIZONA AND IS ANSWERED 24/7/365, WITH PEER COUNSELING AND OUR TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE AVAILABLE FROM 3PM TO 9PM DAILY. THE HOTLINE IS FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL, WITH ALL OUR TRAINED PEER COUNSELORS SUPERVISED BY A MASTER LEVEL CLINICIAN AT ALL TIMES. IN 2021, TEEN LIFELINE RECEIVED 22,253 CALLS AND 19,791 TEXTS FROM TROUBLED YOUTH ACROSS THE STATE. ONE IN THREE CALLS WAS FROM A YOUNG PERSON CONSIDERING SUICIDE.

LIFE SKILLS TEEN LIFELINE IS NOT ONLY IS A SAFE PLACE FOR TEENS TO CALL IN FOR HELP AND HOPE, BUT IS ALSO A SAFE PLACE FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO TAKE THOSE CALLS. FOR MANY OF OUR TEEN VOLUNTEERS, TEEN LIFELINE BECOMES A HOME AWAY FROM HOME. THEY DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE AS BECOMING PART OF A NEW, EXPANDED FAMILY. WHILE A MINIMUM OF 15 HOURS OF SERVICE A MONTH IS REQUIRED, MANY OF THE TEENS FAR EXCEED THAT COMMITMENT. EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE IS THE FACT THAT THE AVERAGE PEER COUNSELOR GIVES MORE THAN 3 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR CRISIS HOTLINE. IN 2021, TEEN LIFELINES 49 NEW VOLUNTEERS RECEIVED 72 HOURS OF OUR 3 PHASE LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TRAINING DESIGNED TO HELP DEVELOP VALUABLE AND NECESSARY SKILLS TO USE BOTH ON AND OFF THE HOTLINE. TEEN VOLUNTEERS GAVE MORE THAN 20,000 HOUR OF SERVICE.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND PREVENTION SERVICES OUR PREVENTION EFFORTS FOCUS ON DECREASING RISKS, INCREASING PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND CREATING RESILIENCY IN THE LIVES, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES OF ARIZONA YOUTH. TEEN LIFELINE PROVIDES FREE EDUCATION THROUGH OUTREACH, WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS TO STUDENTS, SCHOOL STAFF, PARENTS, AND THE GENERAL COMMUNITY. TOPICS INCLUDE STRESS/COPING, GRIEF/LOSS, DEPRESSION/SUICIDE, AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AS OFTEN WE ARE CALLED TO ALSO IDENTIFY THOSE AT RISK AND HELP CONNECT TEENS AND FAMILIES WITH EFFECTIVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. TRAINING AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY. IN 2021, TEEN LIFELINE REACHED 173,845 PEOPLE ACROSS ARIZONA THROUGH THE PREVENTION EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS.