Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 13 1-800-668-6868 Immediate day or night counselling by phone; Ask Us OnlineCounselling through online posts; Info BoothAccess to thoroughly researched and clinically endorsed content; Navigating in a virtual support community created by kids viewing other kids’ online posts and the counsellors’ responses; Interactive games and tools to promote self-care and resiliency, on the kids’ website; Your Space where kids can share their innermost thoughts, secrets and feelings in a safe, non-judgmental environment; Community referral databaseof more than 37,000 local agencies in 2,750+ communities across Canada to help connect kids with resources within their own community; IM/Chat professional counsellingpilot (Fall 2011). In 2010, the top three issues most important to kids were: Mental Health concerns: close to 30% of the issues kids contacted our professional counsellors about related to mental or emotional health struggles. This is a notable increase from 19% recorded in 2004 (first available issue-related statistics); Peer concerns; and Family concerns. Being there for young people’s unique counselling needs In 2010, Kids Help Phone estimates it had 225,622 counselling contacts with youth throughout Canada. The counsellors assisted kids more than 4,300 times a week either through phone or web consultation. In 2010, there were more than 1 million indirect counselling contacts which came through our kids' website, including young people reading stories which resonate with their own in the Ask Us Online section, and accessing trusted information from the Info Booth, which features over 50 topics in kidfriendly language. These are both powerful ways to find comfort in knowing you are not alone, and gaining perspective when you're not ready to talk. The thoroughly researched, clinically endorsed content in the Info Booth section of the kids’ website offers age-appropriate online information on more than 50 topics counsellors have identified as important to children and youth in their everyday lives. Kids Help Phone professional counsellors can access the Kids Help Phone Community Referral database, a national catalogue of more than 37,000 local services to connect kids with someone on the ground – child welfare agencies, shelters, health clinics, counselling centres, police and more – in their own community. The largest of its kind in Canada, the database is continuously updated and enhanced to make sure that counsellors can quickly find whatever resources kids need. Our counsellors Kids Help Phone employs skilled counselling professionals, not volunteers. Each of the full- and part-time counsellors have a clinical or academic background and a degree or diploma in child and youth counselling, or in an applied social science such as social work or psychology. Counsellors have a minimum of three to five years of experience and many have expertise in a specific area, such as eating disorders, gangs, addictions or sexual abuse, allowing them to contribute to the knowledge base of the organization and their peers. ■ Kids Help Phone
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