Chester County teens now have a new tool for mental health and wellness. A Teen Talk Line, targeting 12- to 18-year-olds, is now taking calls and texts to support young people who are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, sad, isolated or confused.

The call center, which is live from 3 to 7 p.m., will use two numbers. The call line is 855-852-TEEN (8336) and the text line is 484-362-9515.

The National Institute of Mental Health notes that young people may be more vulnerable to stress and developing mental health conditions, such as anxiety or depression. Teen talk and text lines are tools for supporting youths across the country.

Chester County's Teen Talk Line is contracted through the county's Office of Mental Health and will be provided by Access Services, a nonprofit organization that runs other mental health programs, including a Teen Talk Line in Montgomery County. The line will operate after school and in the early evening hours, which are the peak hours for family and other conflicts. Individuals who call after hours will receive an automated message and will be directed to the Valley Creek Crisis Intervention Center in Exton for immediate support when needed.

Connecting with teens around concerns and stressors while they are still manageable can support skill building, resilience and an understanding of community resources. Supervised call-takers are trained to apply active listening skills via phone and text, to recognize risks and to offer coping strategies and problem solving, among other engagement techniques and competencies.

Chester County's Teen Talk Line will work with Valley Creek Crisis Intervention Center to ensure seamless referral to the Mobile Crisis program for youths in need of immediate or higher-level support. In addition, the program will reach out to schools and community organizations to host virtual events and to support the Teen Talk Line.

For more information, visit http://accessservices.org or contact Kerri Hoogenhuis, assistant director of peer support and Teen Talk Lines, at Access Services at KHoogenhuis@accessservices.org.