Finding support and a sympathetic ear

Assistance for young adults

You are aged between 15 and 25 and you need help in writing a CV or cover letter or in conducting administrative procedures? Are you looking for advice with regard to training and employment or just a sympathetic ear so that you can talk about your problems? In Geneva, there are several places offering assistance for young adults in finding a solution or simply getting things off their chest.

Advice and professional or academic guidance

Are you looking for a part-time job, a training placement or a civilian service post? Do you need advice with regard to professional guidance or your choice of studies? Are you experiencing difficulties in your training programme or do your need financial aid to complete it? The Study and employment page lists the main contact persons with regard to school education, professional training and jobs for young people in Geneva.

Financial support

Do you need financial support to complete a project, continue your studies or just live decently? The Receive financial support section provides a list of resources available to young people, either as individuals or an association, in order to find financial support in Geneva.

Guidance and support from outreach social workers (TSHM)

In each district, the City of Geneva’s TSHM teams come to meet you in the streets, the yards, the cafés or the public parks. They are there to listen to you, to offer advice and support and to suggest you develop or participate in certain activities.

Finding a structure that can help you

Ciao.ch

The website ciao.ch offers the knowledge of professionals for young people between 11 to 20 years of age that are living in French-speaking Switzerland. To meet their specific need of information and guidance the topics concerned are diversified and include money, education, health, sexuality, internet, etc.

Clic4help.ch portal

The Click4help website allows you to find the information or help you need from among the hundreds of structures active in the Canton of Geneva. You will find a range of services intended for young people aged 12 to 18 or 18 to 25 and for their families in the following spheres:

• suicide;
• malaise, behavioural problems;
• violence, sexual abuse;
• sexuality ;
• family;
• education, training, employment;
• legal matters;
• social issues and other problems.

Telephone assistance: emergency numbers

• La main tendue: This anonymous service provides telephone assistance to anyone encountering difficulties who dials the emergency number 143;
• Pro Juventute advice and assistance:  the Pro Juventute emergency number 147 helps children and teenagers encountering difficulties. You can request assistance 24/7 by calling 147 (telephone, SMS and e-mail).

Social and legal aid

• The information centres listen to your problems and offer guidance while providing information useful to the public. The services provided include accompaniment for any administrative procedures to be completed;
• Caritas Geneva;
• Centre social protestant (CSP) Geneva;
• La Maison genevoise des médiations helps rebuild family ties.

Dependence and addiction

• Carrefour addictions: this group of associations conducts action and prevention programmes relating to addictions to alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and gambling;
• Argos – Entracte day centre is open Monday to Friday and welcomes anyone experiencing problems relating to addiction. The professionals who run Entracte offer impartial personalised accompaniment available to all;
• Phenix is a foundation specialising in the ambulatory treatment of addictions relating, or not, to substance abuse;
• Café Cornavin provides help to drug addicts and/or people in a precarious situation. Its cultural and recreational projects encourage those receiving help to reflect on their own potential and responsibilities;

Suicide

• Aire d’ados is intended for young people, aged between 13 and 25 living in the canton of Geneva, as well as the professionals and loved ones supporting them;
• Stop suicide is committed to preventing suicide among young people in the French-speaking region. It organises activity programmes to talk about and discuss suicide, provide information, enhance awareness and increase the possibilities for prevention;
• Malatavie is intended for young people who are considering suicide or feel a profound malaise. It offers hospital care, ambulatory care and prevention.

Sexuality

At the family planning clinic, you can openly address different themes linked to sexuality, such as contraception, intercourse, the desire to have children, the pursuit or termination of a pregnancy, questions of sexual identity, etc. The meetings with the relevant contact persons are confidential and free, and can be organised alone or as a couple.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)

• Totem – young LGBT is a welcome and meeting forum in Geneva intended for the young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) and for those people unsure of their sexual orientation and/or their gender Identity;
• Dialogai, a homosexual association, is a convivial place where you can share, meet and benefit from a sympathetic ear as well as obtaining information and advice;
• The association 360 fights against any form of exclusion and discrimination be it of a social, legal, professional or any other nature based on sexual orientation and/or gender Identity.

Use of Internet and digital media

• Action innocence promotes the message of secure Internet use among children, teenagers and parents as well as professionals in the fields of education, healthcare and social welfare;
• Pro Juventute offers young people guidance and support when learning media skills.

Debt prevention

• The Centre social protestant operates in the field of debt prevention among young people and organises educational games in schools;
• Caritas Geneva helps people in a difficult financial situation.

Violence

• The LAVI centre meets the immediate needs of people who are the victims of criminal offences infringing upon their personal integrity (physical, sexual or psychological). It operates in the legal, psychological and social sphères;
• Solidarité femmes helps women who are the victims of domestic violence and their children;
• SOS femmes welcomes and accompanies women and girls who have been prostitutes and wish to change their way of life. This organisation also helps women who suffering exclusion in social and professional terms.

Migration

The Fédération Maison Kultura listens to and accompanies people in need, where necessary guiding them towards the relevant organisations and services within the canton.