YouthLine offers free interactive lessons in school settings and for groups of youth to help teens tackle common life stressors.
Our 45-90 minutes classroom lessons are designed to:
- Complement existing health curriculum
- Normalize help seeking behavior
- Destigmatize conversations and raise awareness about youth mental health and wellness
- Identify individualized support systems, trusted adults, and community resources
About Our Lessons
We believe that
1) youth are resilient,
2) youth can gain coping skills to positively guide their lives, and
3) negative perceptions around mental health and seeking help can be turned around.
We deliver lessons using interactive co-facilitation and peer teaching whenever possible that keeps students engaged. YouthLine volunteers help initiate and lead discussions that normalize subject matter.
Please keep in mind: We reach capacity at 40 students. We do not require technology, but ample wall space for hanging posters is requested.
For more information or to schedule YouthLine Outreach in your area, please email YouthL@linesforlife.org.
Let’s Talk YouthLine
Begin a discussion around mental health and wellness and learn about YouthLine as a resource.
Grades 6-12
This unique 30-40 minute lesson introduces the YouthLine as a resource for students while normalizing mental health conversations and help-seeking behavior. Students identify individualized supports and self-care strategies. Each attendee receives our Getting Through Today brochure and an interactive wallet card.
Skill building: Define Mental Health concerns, identify appropriate resources, increase help-seeking behaviors
Coping with Stress
Learn about stress and increase students capacity to discover their own strategies to help calm and regulate when they need it most.
Grades 6-12
Classes build a collective definition of stress, examine their stressors, and discuss how people cope with stress. Through brainstorming activities, students learn to identify stress in their lives. Students begin exploring their own coping strategies and support systems. Each attendee receives our Getting Through Today brochure and an interactive wallet card.
Skill building: recognize stress, discuss options for longterm coping mechanisms, identify appropriate resources, increase help-seeking behaviors
Suicide Awareness
Moving past stigma improves ability to recognize when someone might be having thoughts of suicide. Lesson discusses how to offer support and link to supports.
Grades 9-12
This lesson combats the stigma around suicidal ideation and mental health struggles and gives students a chance to talk about these challenging topics. Youth learn to recognize the signs of suicidal ideation, gauge their personal comfort level with the topic, and identify how to help a friend in crisis.
Skill building: Learn about indicators of mental health struggles and thoughts of suicide, explore ways to support someone thinking about suicide, increase help-seeking behaviors
[Lessons meet Oregon Department of Education Health Standards for Analyzing Influences, Accessing Information, Self-Management, Advocacy, Decision Making, Goal Setting, Interpersonal Communication]
Connecting in the Community
YouthLine provides youth supported outreach, education, destigmatizaion and awareness to communities throughout the state of Oregon (and beyond!) through:
- Classroom presentations
- Trainings for adult and youth gatekeepers
- Youth related conferences and summits
- Provider workshops
- Community events
- Wellness podcasts and webinars
- Informational materials
- Postvention
- Legislative advocacy
- Fundraisers
- And more…
Why Outreach?
The YouthLine’s outreach work is an important way that we connect with and serve those in our community. Through research supported classroom lessons about sensitive topics like suicide, bullying, and stress, the YouthLine connects to thousands of students across Oregon each year.
YouthLine works with various community partners to provide youth-focused workshops that provide information and resources. Youth volunteers and staff attend various conferences, tabling events, and other community events. Our goal is to spread the word about YouthLine and educate others about mental health, wellness, breaking the stigma around these topics, and normalizing help seeking behavior.
For more information or to schedule YouthLine Outreach in your area:
Email YouthL@linesforlife.org