Free helpline for young people
Youth Line is a free helpline established in February of 1991 to attend young people. It is available for them 24/7 and it is based on the work of e-volunteers who support people in need by telephone line (8 800 28888) and internet (www.jaunimolinija.lt/internetas). Every e-volunteer has to go through selection process and a special 6-month training, where they get useful skills and experience:
- they learn how to provide emotional support;
- they improve their communication skills;
- they learn more about themselves and others;
- they have an opportunity to express themselves;
- they spend their time meaningfully;
- they find new friends.
Every visitor of YPAC or Youth Line web page (www.jaunimolinija.lt) has got the possibility to write an e-mail to Youth Line volunteer – to share life difficulties or to ask urgent questions. Volunteers who reply to e-mails provide emotional support through understanding, acceptance, exploration of feelings. They also inform about further help options (a rich database of psychological-social support organizations is used) and sources where more information about particular problems can be found (a list of links to useful web pages is used). A special attention is drawn to the e-mails from people with suicidal thoughts or intentions. E-volunteers are trained to respond to those e-mails appropriately: the goal is to reduce the risk of suicide.
Who are the e-volunteers?
People from 18 years old who have passed selection process and a special training course (about 80 hours of theoretical and practical sessions). Most of the volunteers are 18-30 year old students and workers of different spheres.
Who is the recipient?
Program provides easy reachable and free of charge emotional support for people who are at risk of suicide, experiencing emotional crisis, other difficulties. The service is reachable for everyone who uses Internet.
Name of organization: Jaunimo psichologin
Project title: “Youth line” Emotional Support by Internet
Project website: http://www.jaunimolinija.lt/internetas/
