KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.
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A confidential text service created by Kansas City youth for their peers connected with 124 young people in its first year of operation.
The concerns ranged from school safety to family issues and employment needs.
Y Chat, run by the Kansas City Health Department, started in early 2025 as a crisis intervention tool. It's designed to help teens before situations escalate to violence.
The program came from youth advocacy efforts that pushed for solutions to reduce teen violence.
"People are actually using it, people understand what Y chat is in the community, and we've seen people benefit from the program," said Dr. Marvia Jones, director of the KCMO Health Department.
The text line evolved beyond its original violence prevention focus to address a broader spectrum of youth needs. Messages include concerns about problems at school, family issues, and job searches.
"Hey, I'm not feeling great about my school circumstance, I have this concern about my family or I need work, how do I find employment as a young teen?" Dr. Jones said about typical messages the chat line received.
What may start as a simple complaint about school often reveals deeper safety concerns. Some youth who initially express a dislike for school later admit they don't feel safe in school.
The program provides comprehensive support that extends beyond individual counseling.
It also connects teens to a variety of established city resources. When teens reach out about truancy issues, Y Chat's team advocates for them in truancy court and helps teens navigate the legal system.
"There are details about people who reach out and say, 'I'm in trouble for truancy.,"' Dr. Jones said. "Our team will work with those teens to advocate for them in truancy court, help them navigate that system so they are not just supporting that person, they are supporting a family if you think about it."
Dr. Jones said they continue to work on their original goal to use Y Chat to reduce risks for youth violence and delinquency.
The Kansas City Health Department plans to expand the program's reach in 2026 by returning to its original approach of having youth serve as ambassadors for the service.
Dr. Jones said another goal is to "make ourselves available to other youth."
The program is expanding its marketing efforts in schools and communities and changing its age range from 13 to 18-year-olds to young people ages 10 to 21.
Dr. Jones said the organization has a strong presence in east Kansas City neighborhoods where many of the text messages originate.
She attributes the program's success to her team's dedication. She describes their work as challenging and requiring specialized passion.
"The success of the program is due to the passion of the team," Dr. Jones said. “This is work that is not easy for anyone to just jump into.”
We asked Dr. Jones and the city's communication staff multiple times to speak with text takers on the team and our requests were denied.
Y Chat textline is 816-799-1720
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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