TeenCentral.Net is a prevention and intervention resource for teens and is dedicated to improving the lives of all youth by providing emotional support and appropriate references in a safe web environment where identity is protected and anonymity is respected

Description:
Teens can log onto TeenCentral.Net and submit their story and/or questions and receive counseling from a trained counselor. Once a story is received, the counselor will read and edit it along with offering advice to the teen. The counseling that teens receive is free and allows them to maintain their anonymity. By allowing the teen to remain anonymous, they are given a sense of security that prompts them to be open and honest about whatever they are facing. Before the story or the response from the counselor is published to the site, a Master’s level clinician reviews it. Teens can read and respond to other teens, however these responses are read and edited by both a counselor and clinician as well. By doing this we ensure everything that is available for the teen on our site is accurate, appropriate and helpful. Teens can also read celebrity stories, which lets them know them that everyone struggles with something at one point or another in their life, and that they can get through it.

With all of today’s technology, the Internet can be a very dangerous place. That being said, it is also somewhere that teens go to when looking for answers, help and acceptance. TeenCentral.Net provides a safe place for teens to turn to when looking for these things. In addition to counseling, teens can get information on specific subjects, such as eating disorders and how to quit smoking. The site also provides a page of National and International Help Lines. The site does not operate in real time; therefore it is not possible for anyone to post inappropriate items on the site. Any and all identifying information is removed from stories prior to them being posted. It is not possible for teens to contact each other personally based on any information that they give to the site.

All training is available online and is done within your home as is the counseling. Each volunteer is asked to give at least 4 hours a week.

History:
KidsPeace was founded more than 120 years ago in Bethlehem, PA. The spring of 1882 saw the Lehigh Valley ravaged by a virulent smallpox epidemic. Hundreds of children suddenly lost their parents. William Thurston, then president of Bethlehem Iron Works, opened his heart to these orphans in need. He rented a small house, hired a staff, and then Thurston Home for Children was born. By the end of the year 22 children were receiving care. Within a decade, Thurston fell ill and Captain James Wiley, a military officer and Bethlehem Philanthropist, donated more than $6,000 to buy a new, larger home for the children. In memory of his late wife, it was dedicated in 1895 as the Annie Wiley Children's Home. Through two world wars, the Great Depression and all the events of the 20th Century, Wiley House served children in crisis throughout the Lehigh Valley of PA. As the years passed, more and more children from across the country needed help with increasingly complex issues. To address that need, Wiley House expanded its services and took on a new name, reflective of its growth in scope. Wiley House became KidsPeace, the National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis. Now, more than 120 years after our founding, KidsPeace offers a host of programs and services - 35 distinct services at over 50 centers nationwide - to give hope, help and healing to children facing crisis. More than 115,000 children have been directly cared for since our founding.

Contact people:

Danielle Pearson, Assistant To The Director, (phone), (email) Julius Licata, Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (610) 799-8318

Address:

5300 KidsPeace Drive Orefield , PA 18069 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.teencentral.net

Miscellaneous Information

Are court referrals welcomed?
	No