Christmas can be a difficult time for young people and families.

With that in mind, the Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler TD is encouraging those who need it to avail of turn2me services, which have been extended to support young people aged between 12 -17 and their parents and guardians.

Turn2me provides 24/7 support 365 days a year, including Christmas day.

With support from funding from Sláintecare’s Integration Fund, the service comes in a number of forms and all of turn2me’s services are facilitated by mental health professionals entirely online.

Supports available for young people include:

• Free peer support instant chat groups for young people based on shared issues such as anxiety, friendships, and relationships (no parental consent is needed for this service).
• Support groups are scheduled at different times of the day throughout the week to accommodate different schedules and participants can remain anonymous when online. Groups are facilitated by a professional facilitator.
• Counselling for young people is also provided online for free (parental consent required).
• Peer support is available 24/7 via Thought Catcher, which is moderated on a full-time basis by trained staff, Online Community Moderators.

To find out more visit https://turn2me.ie