Because traditional mental health models are inadequate in meeting the needs of adolescents, hotlines have been developed to alleviate this gap in service. National survey results of adolescent hotlines and an indepth study of one program are presented. Although data indicated only 10% of hotlines exclusively use peers to answer phones, the authors' case study suggests that the “self-help” model of volunteering has benefits not only for consumers but also for adolescent volunteers.
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