What Is Trusted chat line?
YPA’s are between the ages of 18 and 30 with their own identified experience with mental health or other systems.
frequently asked questions
Youth Peer Advocates are trained professionals from the Western New York area who have firsthand experience with overcoming challenges. They have seen and felt things like mental health struggles, addiction in their lives, emotional, developmental, and medical struggles, and/or been involved in foster care or juvenile justice systems. They are NOT AI, they are real, local people who have been in your shoes, and they are here to inspire hope.
They are now in a position where they are healthier, happier, and have gone through training to help other youth by supporting and listening, and helping to guide young people toward services and connections to develop self-advocacy and utilize mental health resources.
You can get an idea of how YPAs are trained here. Pathway to YPA Professional Credential
Once you open the chat, you’ll be asked a simple question. “Hello, how are you doing today?” This is an introductory question, but ideally just the beginning of a comfortable conversation. Once you interact in the chat, a YPA will enter the live chat to speak with you about how you’re feeling, what your challenges are, and provide encouragement, empowerment, and positivity to help you through it.
If you need additional professional services, the YPA can also guide you in the right direction, as they have been trained and provided with a plan for any scenario you may be going through. We have resources and programs to help! You can talk for as long as you need to with the YPA with whom you chat.
Whatever you are struggling with! Whether it be problems at school, problems at home, or in a relationship with someone close to you, you are free and safe to talk about it. Our YPAs have experience speaking with other local teens and young adults who’ve used the chat to talk about uncomfortable issues and confusing feelings. Anything related to Social, emotional, medical, developmental, substance abuse, and/or behavioral challenges you may be facing!
Here are a few examples of what we find are most commonly talked about on the Trusted Chat Line:
- Addiction/Experimentation
- Depression
- Grief
- Food & Eating Habits
- Stress at School
- Acceptance from Parents
- Masturbation/Pornography
- Sexual Orientation
For Parents
We understand the trepidation behind your teenager getting on an anonymous chat line to speak with a stranger. Our YPAs are trained and screened by MHA to ensure your child is safe and supported in a positive way.
YPAs provide peer support as a non-crisis, one-on-one support and act as a mentor and role model for youths facing similar challenges. They have a lived experience that offers encouragement and positivity, while also having the ability to recognize an immediate crisis to point your child in the right direction if need be.
Youth Peer Advocates have received the New York State Youth Peer Advocate Credential administered by YOUTH POWER! Of Families Together in NYS.
You can get an idea of how YPAs are trained here. Pathway to YPA Professional Credential
The chat is designed to be totally anonymous. This means there is no information provided from your child in the form of Name, location, or any other data. The YPA will share their first name, but outside of that, the conversation is focused on the teen’s feelings, experiences, and emotions.
Our YPA will direct them to additional services if they are showing signs of being suicidal or hurting themselves or someone else in any way.
If you have any questions or concerns, we highly recommend that you reach out to our team at peersupport@mhawny.org or call 716.886.1242 x345 for answers before your teen uses the Trusted Chat Line. We feel confident that our organization has created a tool that is safe, useful, and trusted by teens and their parents.