Organizacion Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island announced on Monday the launch of Youth Connect, a bilingual and prevention-focused crisis-counseling program.
The goal of OLA’s newest initiative is to provide middle and high school-age young people access to immediate support and guidance in Spanish or English through an anonymous, confidential helpline that can be reached via text or phone call. A trained crisis counselor will then guide the caller through whatever might be causing a mental health problem.
“This is not a call-and-vent hotline — and then nothing,” said Minerva Perez, OLA’s executive director. “This is not a national crisis-prevention hotline. It’s great that we have that, but this is a local line that’s available from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. There’s a real prevention piece to this.”
In a press release, Ms. Perez pointed out that Spanish-language prevention programs “are virtually nonexistent on the East End. Youth Connect is stepping in to try to fill that void by giving teens what they’ve told us they want: anonymous, confidential, free emotional health support in Spanish and English.” But she also stressed that the service is available to all East End youth, Latino and non-Latino alike.
Youth Connect arrives at a time of growing mental health concerns exacerbated by the pandemic. The United States surgeon general has warned of a crisis among young people, with the suicide rate increasingly on the rise.
The mental and emotional well-being of families and young people on the East End drew greater attention starting around 2016, Ms. Perez said. Then, in the wake of Covid-19, OLA’s staff noticed a toll on the mental health of young people here. This prompted the organization to start a mental health awareness campaign, part of which included a bilingual survey — the first of its kind in the area.
Ms. Perez said that of the roughly 400 responses they received from middle and high schoolers, one of the most striking findings was a lack of trust in the confidentiality of school officials and among peers. “Kids are scared that their parents will get into trouble if they admit to drinking or using drugs. Or that they’ll be labeled by their peers. There just aren’t enough outlets for these kids without being labeled.”
To address this, another key component to Youth Connect will be its work in schools. To date, the East Hampton and Bridgehampton School Districts are affiliated with the program, but Ms. Perez said the goal is to slowly roll it out across all schools on the East End. Students will learn how to manage their stress and communicate their needs, as well as how to support one another. Crisis counselors will also offer bilingual parent and caregiver workshops featuring experts and youth leaders who will share how best to support adolescents when they struggle with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, self-harm, or other mental health issues.
According to Sandra Dunn, OLA’s associate director, the helpline number is not yet public. “We want to roll out [the program] in more schools first,” she said.