Kids Helpline
Kids Help Line is an Australian 24-hour telephone and online counselling service for young people aged between five and 25.
Its telephone counselling service started in 1991 in Queensland, expanding Nationally in 1993. Kids Help Line expanded to online counselling in 1999 with the help of Australian Telecommunication company Optus
Counselling
Kids Help Line is Australia's only free, confidential and anonymous, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25
There are three ways children can talk to a counsellor.
Phone Counselling
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When children really need to talk to someone, the fastest way is to call the Kids Help Line phone number 1800 55 1800 and speak with a counsellor in person.
If they are not sure about talking to someone on the phone, or can't get to a phone, they can use webcounselling or email.
Web Counselling
Available 3pm to 9pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm Saturday & Sunday (Queensland time)
Email Counselling
Sometimes an email response can take up to two weeks. If children need to talk to a counsellor straight away they should call 1800 55 1800.
The email and webcounselling services are provided by Kids Help Line to give children and young people the opportunity to try out counselling in the way that might feel most comfortable for them.
If the issue is urgent the telephone is still the fastest way of getting to a counsellor.
The two main values that underpin Kids Help Line practice are: • Empowerment • Child Centred Practice
Counselling from an empowerment perspective involves: • Assisting clients to develop options for change; • Assisting clients to understand the consequences of particular actions; • Helping the client identify her/his own resources; • Informing the client about resources; • Supporting the client in developing a sense of control in her/his own life; • Working with strengths rather than weaknesses.
Providing a child-centred practice involves: • Listening to and respecting what children have to say; • Focusing on their needs; • Seeing the world from their perspective; • Acknowledging and believing that the child is the primary client; • Seeing the child as an individual person as well as a member of a class or group; • Respecting the child.
Kids Help Line has five operational principles. These child centred principles influence practice and management decisions at Kids Help Line.
Operational Principles: • confidentiality and anonymity • all callers are treated with respect • callers are free to choose the gender of the counsellor to whom they speak • callers are able to access the same counsellor if they wish to call back • callers are encouraged to give feedback about Kids Help Line and the service they receive
Kids Help Line is operated by [[[BoysTown]],] a charity dedicated to supporting children, young people and families who are disadvantaged.
Trivia
Although it is intended for Australian children and young adults, web counselling can be accessed world wide, and has been used to protect children from as far as the United States.
Similar Services
Kids Help Phone
http://www.kidshelpphone.ca/en/
(canada)
Childline
http://www.childline.org.uk/
(UK)
External links
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