The YouthLine has been serving Central Oregon for over 20 years, working in classrooms and answering calls and texts from youth in crisis since 1993. In 2019, The YouthLine established the first YouthLine satellite team in Central Oregon on the OSU Cascades campus. Since then, more than 40 youth volunteers have been trained and answered thousands of crisis calls, texts, and chats in Oregon and across the United States.
In October of 2022, we opened a second Central Oregon satellite on the Warm Springs Reservation. This program will train native Native youth volunteers to respond to calls, texts and chats and engage them with relevant and culturally specific ideas. Our staff and youth volunteers are working hard to meet the growing needs of youth experiencing mental health issues – whether it is a bad grade, a relationship break-up, gender identity, or suicide ideation. The YouthLine is expanding to meet those needs and decrease the stigma surrounding talking about mental health and suicide.
YouthLine operates under the umbrella of Lines for Life; a non-profit dedicated to the prevention of substance abuse and suicide and the promotion of mental wellness for all.