Kids Helpline
{{Third-party|date=January 2025}}
{{Short description|Mental health youth support service in Australia}}
{{about|the Australian service|the Canadian service|Kids Help Phone}}
{{confused|Child Helpline International}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date = June 2020}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Kids Helpline
| image =
| founder =
| size = 105px
| services = Phone counselling
Online counselling
Email counselling
| affiliations = yourtown
| website = {{URL|kidshelpline.com.au}}
}}
Kids Helpline is a free Australian telephone and online counselling service for young people aged between 5 and 25. Counsellors respond to more than 6,000 calls each week about issues ranging from relationship breakdown and bullying to sexual abuse, homelessness, suicidal thoughts, depression and drug and alcohol usage.{{Citation needed|date=June 2020}}
Funding
The service is primarily funded by yourtown, an Australian youth community services organisation, which provides the Kids Helpline service.{{Cite web|title=Kids Helpline|url=https://www.yourtown.com.au/our-services/kids-helpline|access-date=21 June 2020|website=yourtown|date=5 June 2018|archive-date=22 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622062419/https://www.yourtown.com.au/our-services/kids-helpline|url-status=live}} Supported by the Australian Government (through the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Australian Human Rights Commission), the Queensland Government, and Government of Western Australia. It is also supported by corporate sponsors, Optus, Bupa, Future Generation Investment Company, and First National Real Estate.{{Cite web|title=Our Funders|url=https://kidshelpline.com.au/about/our-funders|access-date=21 June 2020|website=Kids Helpline|date=23 November 2017|archive-date=22 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622100933/https://kidshelpline.com.au/about/our-funders|url-status=live}}
Counselling methods
All counsellors that provide services through Kids Helpline are university-qualified and are formal employees of yourtown.{{Cite web|title=FAQs|url=https://kidshelpline.com.au/about/faqs|access-date=21 June 2020|website=Kids Helpline|date=13 November 2017|archive-date=10 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810002146/https://kidshelpline.com.au/about/faqs|url-status=live}}
- Phone Counselling. Free counselling over the phone available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1800 55 1800. The service is a freecall number from all mobiles on Australian carriers, landlines and public payphones.{{Cite web|title=About Phone Counselling|url=https://www.kidshelpline.com.au/get-help/phone-counselling/|access-date=21 June 2020|website=Kids Helpline|date=9 January 2018 }}
- Online Counselling. Called 'WebChat', Kids Helpline counselling is also available online through the website. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Generally, this service has high wait times, ranging up to 50 minutes during peak times in evenings.{{Cite web|title=About WebChat Counselling|url=https://www.kidshelpline.com.au/get-help/webchat-counselling|access-date=21 June 2020|website=Kids Helpline|date=8 January 2018|archive-date=19 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619033331/https://kidshelpline.com.au/get-help/webchat-counselling|url-status=live}}
- Email Counselling. Kids Helpline also provides email counselling through counsellor@kidshelpline.com.au. The inbox is answered from 8am to 10pm daily, with response times often being within a few days.
Long-term users of the service can also access case management through Kids Helpline, as well as "wrap around care" where a trusted adult is involved in ensuring a child's welfare. Kids Helpline can also refer patients onwards to more formal and in-person services.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|kidshelpline.com.au}}
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