Need Help?
Need Help?
Hotlines & Web Resources for Teens & Young Adults
You should seek help immediately if you or someone you know is thinking about self-harm or suicide. Below is a list of resources:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The web site for this 24-hour, confidential hotline offers details about how to call if you need help, how to identify suicide warning signs, and information for veterans experiencing mental distress.
Boys Town National Hotline
The Boys Town National Hotline is a faith-based hotline for children, youth and families in crisis. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is staffed by specially trained Boys Town counselors. Spanish-speaking counselors and translation services representing more than 140 languages are available, along with a TDD line (1-800-448-1833), which allows counselors to communicate with speech-impaired and deaf callers.
Safe Place
National Safe Place provides access to immediate help and supportive resources for young people in crisis through a network of qualified agencies, trained volunteers and businesses in 32 states. Call the hotline to find out if the program operates in your state, or look online at www.nationalsafeplace.org.
National Alliance of the Mentally Ill
National Safe Place provides access to immediate help and supportive resources for young people in crisis through a network of qualified agencies, trained volunteers and businesses in 32 states. Call the hotline to find out if the program operates in your state, or look online at www.nationalsafeplace.org.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis intervention and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Although developed for LGBTQ youth, you do not have to be LGBTQ to use the service. The Trevor Helpline is available as a resource to parents, family members and friends of young people as well. Visit www.thetrevorproject.org for more information and resources for young people, including “Dear Trevor,” an online Q&A forum for non-time sensitive questions.
TrevorText
A free, confidential, secure service in which LGBTQ young people can text a trained Trevor counselor for support and crisis intervention. TrevorText is available on Fridays (4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT). Text the word “Trevor” to 1-202-304-1200. Standard text messaging rates apply.
Help Online
ReachOut
ReachOut is an information and support service using evidence based principles and technology to help teens and young adults facing tough times and struggling with mental health issues. All content is written by teens and young adults, for teens and young adults, to meet them where they are, and help them recognize their own strengths and use those strengths to overcome their difficulties and/or seek help if necessary.
Your Life, Your Voice
Your Life, Your Voice is a project of the Boys Town National Hotline. YourLifeYourVoice.org is set up so teens and young adults can get the support they need online. Using Your Life, Your Voice, teens may reach out and get support via live chat, text messaging, or e-mail. Live chat will be available on Mondays – Thursdays from 7:00 PM – 12:00 AM CST (and other times if counselors are available). To get help via text message, text VOICE to 20121. Texting will be available Monday, Wednesday & Saturday 4:00 PM-12:00 AM CST. There are also bulletin boards and numerous fact sheets with information that is relevant to teens and young adults.
Teen Moods
Teen Moods is an online community founded in 2002 for teens and young adults (13-24) to communicate and share their experiences with depression, anxiety, and related problems in their lives. Teen Moods is not run or staffed by any medical, counseling, or therapy professionals. Teen Moods is an electronic bulletin board system/online peer discussion group that serves only as a medium to allow communications between those who wish to discuss such issues.
TrevorChat
A free, confidential, secure instant messaging service that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention online for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and young people (ages 13-24). Although developed for LGBTQ youth, you do not have to be LGBTQ to use the service. TrevorChat is available 7 days a week (3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. PT).
Texas Youth and Runaway Hotline
Contact the Texas Youth & Runaway Hotline anytime, day or night to discuss your problem, it’s free and we’re here to help!
For Help:
Call us at 1-800-989-6884, chat online now, or text us – it’s free.
Find answers to these and other questions:
I ran away from home, where can I find help?
I want to leave home, can I move out without my parents’ permission?
What should I do if my child doesn’t come home?
My child’s friend needs a place to stay, can they stay at my house?
Volunteer advocates are dedicated to helping you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to listen and help you consider your choices and develop a sensible solution.
TeensHealth
TeensHealth is a safe, private place for teens who need honest, accurate information and advice about health, emotions, and life. TeensHealth is accessible 24 hours a day so you can get the doctor-approved information you need to make educated decisions — or help a friend who needs advice. There’s a lot of confusing, misleading, and just plain wrong health information on the Web. Our mission is to tell it to you straight.
TeensHealth is part of the KidsHealth family of websites. These sites, run by the nonprofit Nemours Center for Children’s Health Media, provide accurate, up-to-date health information that’s free of “doctor speak.”
A team of pediatricians and other medical experts reviews all KidsHealth content regularly to ensure the information is as current as possible. That doesn’t mean TeensHealth takes the place of an in-person visit with a doctor. Nothing beats a personal consultation with a physician who can get your health history, do a physical exam, and talk with you one-on-one. What TeensHealth can do is help you learn ways to keep your body and mind healthy.
Texas Youth Connection
If you are a youth in the Texas foster care system, a youth transitioning to adulthood, or a youth who is just looking for general tips and information, you’ve come to the right place.
Texas Youth Connection is a project of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), the agency that administers Child Protective Services in Texas. Some of our programs that you may be familiar with include:
- The Texas foster care system,
- Preparation for Adult Living (PAL),
- Chafee Foster Care Independence Program,
- Education and Training Voucher,
- Services to At-Risk Youth (STAR),
- The Texas Runaway Hotline, and
- The Texas Youth Hotline.
Matthew’s Place
Matthew’s Place is an online community designed to provide support to teens and young adults within sexual orientation and gender identity minorities as well as their allies. Tools on Matthew’s Place include blogs written by young people from across the country, resources for those who are struggling with coming out or reconciling their faith and sexual orientation/gender identity, interviews with various notable people with in the LGBTQ and allied community, and more.
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Our Mission
The Hill Country Children’s Advocacy Center is a place of Hope, Healing, and Justice for children and families in the aftermath of abuse as well as raising awareness and education of child abuse in our Community.
