F Cr =o D ~ vl, Di ph VEe i Free Crisis Counseling For Troubled Teens And Parents (NAPSA)—An organization hotline that helps over 50,000 nerves or irritate you? Does your wants to extend free counseling to nerves? Does your child get on your troubled teens in crisis every year parent/caregiver get on your help teens and their parents. Do you feel your parent/ caregiver doesn’t understand you? For 20 years, Covenant House’s Nineline has helped people who Does your parent/caregiver embarrass you? Do you lack trust in your have nowhere else to turn. Teens from across the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam call child? Do you trust your par- (800) 999-9999 seeking help with ent/caregiver? Do you argue regularly with your spousein front of your child? Can you depend on your parent/caregiver for your emotional problemsincluding abuse, suicide, drugs and alcohol, running away, family issues, basic needs and relationships. Over 50,000 have beencrisis calls. It’s the largest privately funded agency in the Americas providing services to homeless kids. (www.covenanthouse.org). “We are often their only lifeline, their last chance for help,” said Covenant House International President Sister Tricia Cruise, 8.C. “In the past 20 years, we helped 1,575,522 callers, providing crisis intervention, counseling support, information or referring them to shelters and local agencies.” The hotline provides callers with immediate care, help and Parents who wantto help their teens may benefit from learning the signs that might indicate a family in trouble. via the Nineline forum, search a database of 30,000 local service agencies, and download informa- tion on topics critical to today’s youth, including: helping children, teens, parents and caregivers via www.nineline.org. The Web site enables anyone needing help to e-mail questions to crisis counselors, post questions feel anger toward the parent/ to open a dialogue among par- ents, children and other con- Do you feel violent toward or more of the questions below, counselors responding in English and Spanish. For callers speaking Chinese, Russian, Polish and family counseling. If a child or uses a translation service. For cussing a possible problem with has a TTY line (900-999-9915). There are approximately 36 staff members who workin shifts 24 it might be beneficial to seek to learn ways to help their trou- Do you verbally or physically abuse your child? e Are you constantly angry toward your child? Does the child your child? Does the child feel violent toward the parent/caregiver? Nineline is multilingual with a family in trouble? This questionnaire is meant that provide immediate assistance in callers’ hometowns. Although young people primarily use the service, adult family bled children. The service has expanded by physical abuse? Is your child? caregiver? cerned adults close to the family. If the answer is “yes” to two members and caregivers also call to excess? Do you use in front of your child? Are you a victim of verbal or Whatare the warningsigns of support by highly trained counselors. It also has a database of over 30,000 local service agencies and physical needs? Do you use alcohol or drugs adult feels uncomfortable dis- family members, he or she can call Nineline for assistance. (Note: This quiz is not meant to replace a clinical diagnosis by a licensed therapist. It is only meant to give an indication of a possible problem.) e Are parents/caregivers too demanding? all other languages, Nineline the hearing impaired, Nineline hours a day, seven days a week. They also answer calls for Life Line, a suicide hotline, as well as hotlines for gang violence, domestic violence and victims of humantrafficking. All calls are confidential.
