The new St. Louis County Youth Connection Helpline – which just started answering the phones on Oct. 7 – is already impacting teens’ lives. 
It’s a noteworthy start for a unique project.
“We went live a couple of weeks ago, and already we’ve gotten several crisis calls,” said Julie Russell, director of programs and performance at the St. Louis County Children's Service Fund, which pays for the Helpline. “There’s been a lot of need for shelter services for youth and teens.”
Those calling the Helpline at 314-628-2929 or 877-928-2929 may not realize it, but they are getting in touch with a very innovative service. Russell explained that four factors make the Helpline the first of its kind in the country:
1. The team answering the phone 24/7 consists of trained professionals from Behavioral Health Response, which has 15 years’ experience in providing crisis hotlines. Its licensed counselors will assess the needs of the callers, and determining what sort of assistance is called for in the situation. This can range from a referral to one of 44 local agencies (more on them in a minute) or a crisis response that spurs the rest of the Helpline team into action.
2. When a caller needs immediate help, an outreach worker from Youth in Need will be dispatched to assess the situation and, if needed, transport the teen to an appropriate service.
3. The National Safe Place program is an integral part of the Helpline – it’s the only community in the country where a Safe Place location (such as QuikTrip or, starting this month, Walgreens) can get in touch with a professionally staffed call center at any time of the day or night.
4. Within a couple of weeks, kids will also be able to text 4HLP to 31658, and the Helpline staff will immediately return the contact.
“The nice thing about this Helpline is that we have $35 million in services that are going live at the same time,” Russell said. “We have the luxury of having the Helpline plus the funding for the services that are so needed.”
The $35 million she’s referring to is a recent award her agency, the St. Louis County Children's Service Fund, gave to 44 local nonprofit and government agencies to expand mental health and substance abuse services to children and families over the next year and a half. The Service Fund exists thanks to a 2008 St. Louis County ballot measure that created it for the benefit of children ages 19 and under.
The Helpline, Safe Place sites, Youth in Need outreach workers and BHR counselors are all gateways into a network whose goal is keeping kids from falling through the cracks if they’re in need of help for suicide risk, substance abuse, homelessness, pregnancy, depression or other problems.
The resources are also open to teens’ families – for example, parents can call to ask questions, to request services, or to refer their child. “Any adult or person in the community can call,” Russell said, “even if you’re a neighbor calling because you’re concerned about the family down the street.”
That’s not to say that outreach teams will show up on the doorstep following a call. Russell emphasized that services are voluntary and are designed to respect teens’ privacy and independence. “When they don’t feel in control of their life, [independence] is even more important,” she explained. “The social workers and mental health professionals are trained to meet that kid where they are and will intervene appropriately if there’s a life-threatening situation. Our ultimate goal is keeping kids and families safe."
Between now and December 2011, the Helpline anticipates serving 4,000 unduplicated clients through its phone contacts, mobile teams and text messaging. Some will simply seek information, but others will be in the throes of a crisis, like one girl Russell described who called the new Helpline during its first two weeks in operation. “There was a pregnant teen who was homeless and needed services,” she said. “They were able to get her shelter and the services that she needed.”
Editor’s note: Though the Helpline is funded by the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund, anyone in the metro area can call or text for help. Likewise, any teen can go to a St. Louis-area Safe Place location – for more information on where they are, visit the homepage or text SAFE and your current location (street, city and state) to 69866.
By Amy De La Hunt, Health Blogger for SmartParenting
Amy De La Hunt is a journalist and editor who lives in the St. Louis metro area and works across the country as a writer, copy editor, project manager and editorial consultant on everything from fiction books to monthly magazines to blog posts. When she's not chauffeuring her teenage sons to activities, Amy is an enthusiastic amateur cook, landscaper, Latin dancer and traveler. Follow Amy on Instagram @amy_in_words
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