San Francisco Suicide Prevention Hotline Reaches Out To Teens Online

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) --- San Francisco Suicide Prevention is trying something new to reach out to troubled youth dealing with depression - the Prevention Program tries to connect with young people in cyberspace.

About 60,000 people a year call the city's suicide prevention hotline, but attempts to reach out to teens haven't been as successful as hoped and Director Eve Meyer says she wants to try a different approach.

KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:

"We wanted to do a campaign that would let people know we are available when they feel awful and that we are available not only by phone, but on their computers by chat," she said.

New posters are going up all over San Francisco telling young people to email or connect with Suicide Prevention's chat line.

Meyer points out younger people like chatting on their computers, and it's very private.

The posters at bus shelters and Muni metro stations show a goldfish in a bowl, a bird in a cage, a puppy in a kennel or a kitten in a tree. The message is that if you feel lonely, depressed or trapped help is just an email or chat away.

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