A Hopeline for Muslim Youth BY Muslim Youth

We are a group of Muslim youth in Sacramento who experienced firsthand the devastating impact that mental health issues can have in our lives or in the lives of loved ones. 

We created the hotline after a string of suicides occurred within two months in a nearby Muslim community. It was reported that six Muslim males between the ages of 18-24 ended their lives due to personal issues and a lack of proper support. 

The Amala Hopeline Team seeks to prevent this tragedy from happening again by providing assistance to Muslim youth. We are the only crisis hotline in the United States that caters to young Muslims and offers this type of peer support. 

"AMALA" Means "HOPE" in Arabic

Unfortunately, because the mental health stigma is magnified in the Muslim community due to religious and cultural views, young Muslims all over the United States are forced to suffer in silence. 

Amala Hopeline seeks to put an end to that. As a crisis line for American Muslim youth, Amala Hopeline provides an accessible, culturally competent, non-judgmental and confidential source of over-the-phone peer support and resource referral. 

We are ACCESSIBLE

In the US, one in five teens suffers from depression. However, over 60% of those with depression to do not seek treatment. We predict that the number of those who do not seek help is higher in the Muslim community.

After the string of six youth suicides in a small Californian Muslim community over a period of two months, we saw a pattern. In all of the suicides there was lack of a support system, and lack of access to resources and tools that could help them. 

 Amala Hopeline addresses this problem by offering our service over the phone. We are just a call away to whoever needs us. 

We are CONFIDENTIAL

A major barrier that keeps Muslim youth from seeking needed help is the fear of their reputation being ruined due to the nature of their problem. Our line is 100% confidential. We do not ask for names or any identifying information from our callers.

We are NON-JUDGEMENTAL

Another barrier that keeps Muslim youth from seeking help is a fear of being judged over the problems they have. Amala peer counselors work to empower callers and help them arrive at their own proactive solutions through listening and validation. 

Though they do not offer any Islamic guidance, Amala counselors understand the religious and cultural backgrounds of callers and are able to tailor conversations accordingly.

We seek to UNDERSTAND

One significant way we contribute to improving mental health resources for the Muslim community is by gathering basic demographic and call topic information without any identifying information of the callers themselves. With this information we offer insight into the struggles of Muslim youth and update our peer counselor trainings as needed. 

Since AMALA's start in January 2015, Muslim youth throughout the United States have called in to seek advice on issues such as physical abuse and domestic violence, specific mental health disorders, discrimination, bullying, health problems, relationship problems, cultural pressures, financial stress, family problems, depression, anxiety, and academic stress. 

Many callers have called in multiple times for follow-up conversations with counselors as well. Below is a breakdown of the different issues individuals have called us about since we launched.

We Fight the STIGMA

Along with the direct support we offer our callers, we also strive to end the mental health stigma. This is accomplished with mental health awareness workshops we have offered at masjids and conferences, including the MSA West Conference. 

We launch various social media campaigns that encourage Muslim youth to not only seek help, but to engage in conversation and share experiences about taboo topics in the Muslim community that need to be addressed. Below is a compilation of several images from a mental health awareness campaign we started in 2014 before launching the line

WE NEED YOU 

With the grace of God and the word of mouth of a supportive community, AMALA is slowly growing and reaching new people. We still need funds to continue to offer and enhance our services. Donations are needed to maintain phone lines, computer equipment, database software, advertising and printing costs, part-time staff salaries, and staff development events. During the entire month of Ramadan, we are collecting donations of any amount and are hoping to reach our goal of $10,000.

So please donate, give us a call or spread the word!

With your help, we can eliminate the mental illness stigma and bring help and hope to our young Muslims.

AMALA Hopeline is  project of the Muslim American Society Social Services Foundation (MAS SSF), located in Sacramento, CA.