Need to Talk?

Covenant House Nineline (1-800-999-9999) is a 24-hour, toll-free crisis hotline which provides crisis intervention, referral and information services to homeless, runaway and other troubled youth and their families throughout the U.S. With a database of over 26,000 agencies, trained crisis counselors are able to refer callers to help in their own communities.

Nineline telephones have conference call capability which is used to connect young people to their families and to service agencies. Nineline staff also assist young people by arranging transportation home or to a safe shelter, and by providing a message relay service to inform families that their child is safe.

The Nineline handles calls from young people with a broad range of problems. Some have just left home and call from a telephone booth or a friend's house; others have been on the streets for weeks, months or even years. Most calls, however, are from young people who are still at home. Some call because they need help talking to their parents. Others call because they are victims of child abuse or need help dealing with a drug or alcohol problem. The Nineline also receives numerous calls from youths who are contemplating suicide, and from youths affected by violence in their communities.

Nineline depends on private donations, with a small percentage of funding from foundations and corporate grants.