Project Grant H79FG001045

YOUTHLINE NATIONAL EXPANSION - LINES FOR LIFE'S YOUTHLINE PROGRAM PLANS TO BUILD CAPACITY TO MEET THE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS OF YOUTH AGES 10-24 ACROSS OREGON AND NATIONWIDE. SAMHSA FUNDING WILL SUPPORT: - GROWING CAPACITY AT EXISTING YOUTHLINE SITES IN PORTLAND AND CENTRAL OREGON BY TRAINING ADDITIONAL VOLUNTEERS AND EXPANDING EDUCATION/OUTREACH IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS OREGON. - CREATING AND EXPANDING SATELLITE SITES THAT SUPPORT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT/VOLUNTEERISM TO MARGINALIZED AND DISTANCED YOUTH. THIS INCLUDES INITIATING A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW GENERATION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKERS WHILE ALSO BUILDING DIVERSITY AMONG YOUTH VOLUNTEERS SUPPORTING YOUTH IN CRISIS. - PROVIDING MINI-GRANT SUPPORT TO SCHOOLS ACROSS OREGON WORKING TO IMPLEMENT THEIR SCHOOL SUICIDE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND POSTVENTION PLANS. - BUILDING SYSTEMS AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN SERVE 25,000+ TEENS IN CRISIS WITH TEEN-TO-TEEN PEER CRISIS HELP BY THE END OF 2024. - DISSEMINATING INFORMATION TO STUDENTS IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS AND DIRECTLY TO SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR DISTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY. FUTURE GOALS INCLUDE: 1) THE CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE YOUTHLINE NATIONAL PROGRAM BY EXPANDING THE HOURS THE YOUTHLINE IS AVAILABLE WITH PEER SUPPORT. 2) TO REACH AND SUPPORT MORE YOUTH IN THE MID-WEST AND EAST COAST, RAISING AWARENESS NATIONWIDE THROUGH EDUCATION, OUTREACH, MARKETING, AND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH NATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS THAT PROMOTE MENTAL WELLNESS AND THE NATIONAL YOUTHLINE. WITHIN 3-5 YEARS, THE YOUTHLINE HOPES TO ENGAGE WITH 100,000 TEENS VIA OUTREACH AND THROUGH THE CALL CENTER. YOUTH SUICIDE IS A NATIONAL CRISIS IN THE U.S. - IT IS THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR YOUTH AGES 10-24 NATIONALLY AND IN OREGON. THE SUICIDE RATE FOR TWEENS AGED 10-14 HAS NEARLY TRIPLED FROM 2007 TO 2017. THE SUICIDE RATE INCREASED 36% FROM 2000 TO 2017. WE KNOW THE PANDEMIC CONTRIBUTED TO FEELINGS OF ISOLATION, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND SUICIDAL IDEATION FOR OUR YOUTH. IT ALSO HAS SHED LIGHT ON THE ONGOING LACK OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR YOUTH IN AMERICA. AS EXPERTS, WE KNOW THE EARLIER WE CAN INTERVENE WITH A YOUTH, THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO GET THEM HELP, NORMALIZE REACHING OUT, AND DECREASE STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH. THIS IS WHERE YOUTHLINE COMES IN. SINCE 1999, LINES FOR LIFE'S YOUTHLINE PROGRAM HAS BEEN SUPPORTING YOUTH EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ACROSS OREGON AND NATIONWIDE. YOUTHLINE HAS 128 YOUTH VOLUNTEERS RANGING IN AGE FROM 15 TO 21 WHO RECEIVE EXTENSIVE TRAINING AND MENTORING THROUGHOUT THEIR VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE. YOUTHLINE CLASSROOM/COMMUNITY EDUCATION IS WELL-ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE PORTLAND METRO AREA, CENTRAL OREGON, AND STATEWIDE. IN 2022, YOUTHLINE'S PEER-TO-PEER CRISIS LINE CONNECTED WITH OVER 24,000 YOUTH - A 140% INCREASE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. THIS RAPID GROWTH INDICATES THE NEED TO ELEVATE THE NATIONAL YOUTHLINE PRESENCE TO EXPAND CAPACITY AND DIRECTLY ADDRESS BARRIERS AND ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH, VOLUNTEERISM, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTICULARLY FOR VULNERABLE YOUTH IN MINORITIZED COMMUNITIES IN OREGON. THIS EXPANSION WILL DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE ONGOING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS FACING YOUTH IN AMERICA.