According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults, aged 10 – 24 years old. In response to this devastating crisis, Felton’s San Francisco Suicide Prevention (SFSP) program provides a lifeline through their Teen Chat Line.
The chat line provides emotional support, service linkage, and crises intervention. Responding with compassion and care, chat line moderators interact with young people who are reaching out for support. “The act of vulnerability, even if it’s just through a text, is a huge step for so many people. It’s something they have never done before, especially if they don’t have parents or friends they can talk to,” explained Text and Chat Coordinator Anthony Perez.
Like previous generations, youth and young adults experience hardships and challenges that are often unique to their generation. For young people today, the Covid 19 pandemic and its aftermath continue to be main drivers for many who reach out to the chat line. Text and Chat Supervisor Mikayla Lim explained that many teens tell her “’the quarantine period messed me up and messed up my mental health because of the isolation” while others explain “’quarantine made me feel more comfortable” because they didn’t feel the social pressure from their peers and being back at school put them under that pressure again.” This act of reaching out, however, helps them feel empowered. “When they actually reach out for help, they learn that talking about their feelings can actually be a safe and healthy thing to do, and that people can and should listen and respect them,” she added.
Perez and Lim see resilience among the young people they interact with. Perez said, “We have a lot of very emotionally intelligent young people on the line who are already self-aware. They are also becoming more educated.” Lim adds that the act of reaching out and receiving support can instill confidence and agency. “They say to me, ‘I actually feel better because I got all the stuff off my chest and I’ll definitely text back.’” Felton’s Teen Chat Line provides a safe space for this.
To learn more about our San Francisco Suicide Prevention (SFSP) program, visit the SFSP Website or reach out to our supportive staff during standard 9 AM – 5 PM Monday to Friday business hours at sfsuicide@felton.org.
For crisis situations, you can reach us 24/7 through our crisis hotline and textline services.
Felton Institute responds to the needs of our community by providing innovative, evidence-informed social services to transform lives. Our organization offers 50+ programs that address mental health, the unhoused, early care and education, those impacted by the justice system, transitional age youth, as well as aging adults. Our award-winning programs, which have been recognized as national models, combine the latest scientific research with cultural sensitivity and a deep commitment to supporting and reflecting the communities we serve.
Founded in 1889, Felton is the oldest secular non-profit social services provider in the City and County of San Francisco. We have expanded our services across most Bay Area counties and continue to be at the forefront of pioneering new approaches to meet the emerging needs of underserved populations.
We know what it looks like to successfully build community.
We foster impactful change by strengthening the community as a premiere service provider. We also strengthen other service providers by supporting them in their fiscal, human resources, communications, IT and overall agency operations. With Felton’s support, they are able to focus on providing the best services to their clients, doing the work they were meant to do.
Felton empowers the community and ensures successful outcomes to all we engage with.
Felton Institute is a tax-exempt organization registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 94-1156530.