Words by Tess Becker
Youth mental health is declining in the United States and while much of the blame can be leveled at the pandemic, the trend was still visible for over a decade beforehand.
That trend is exacerbated in Oregon which finds itself as one of the worst states in terms of mental health care accessibility for teens.
One organization, YouthLine is trying to address that and make a dent in the youth mental health crisis.
The organization has a teen-to-teen system where teenage volunteers help provide crisis support to other teens that call in. YouthLine is part of the larger LinesForLife that helps provide crisis lines to the whole of Oregon.
What else do they do to support?
Beyond their crisis line, they also operate an outreach program to destigmatize mental health in the region.
On top of that, they also maintain a massive list of resources for everything from personal empowerment to COVID-19 help.
“Empowering young people is at the heart of what we do at YouthLine,” they write on their website.
“Our programs are designed to elevate youth voices and equip youth with the tools and skills to manage their own well-being and offer help to others.”
This article aligns with the UN SDG Good Health and Wellbeing.
