On 15 September 2022, ReachOut Australia launched its new ‘PeerChat’ service for young people.
PeerChat is a new text-based support service for 18–25-year-olds that connects a young person experiencing mental health challenges with a peer worker who can provide support based on their own experience.
The service is free, confidential and can be accessed anywhere in Australia on weekdays between 1-8pm (Sydney time).
The text-based service may help young people reach out for support without the pressures of services in clinical settings and provides a platform to discuss a range of topics including:
- Relationships
- Work and study
- Stress, anxiety and wellbeing
- Alcohol, drugs and substance abuse
- Identity.
PeerChat peer support workers have undertaken specific ReachOut training that supports their own experiences with mental health challenges. The value of having peer support workers as part of PeerChat can help young people feel connected and understood by people who have shared similar experiences.
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