A safe place for young Liberians to heal
Move To Heal is Liberia's first dedicated youth mental health clinic. It is designed as a stigma-free "community living room", not a hospital, with mental health, substance-use and GBV support under one roof. The clinic is in its final preparation phase.
Why Move To Heal
Young people deserve a door built for them
Most mental health conditions first appear in adolescence and early adulthood. Globally, one in seven 10–19-year-olds experiences a mental disorder, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.
Source: World Health Organization. Mental health of adolescents (fact sheet), updated 1 September 2025.
In Liberia, specialist care is concentrated in Monrovia and services are designed for adults. Many young people carry trauma, grief or fear with nowhere safe to take it. Move To Heal is designed to change that.
Year 1 targets
500
young people served
1,200
service contacts
30
peer navigators trained
Who it serves: young people aged 10–35, their families and caregivers, and young survivors of violence.
Source: Letters to Strangers Liberia, Move To Heal clinic plan and Year 1 targets, October 2026.
Services
What the clinic will offer
Services are opening in phases. Each one is labelled so you know what is available now and what is coming.
Welcome, intake and screening
A friendly first contact, informed consent, and a short check of how you are feeling and whether you are safe.
Mental health assessment
A structured conversation with a supervised clinician about your needs, strengths and safety.
Individual counselling
Brief, structured, evidence-based counselling with a care plan you agree with your counsellor.
Group programmes and peer support
Facilitated groups and peer circles for stress, low mood, grief and recovery.
GBV and protection support
Survivor-centred counselling, safety planning and referral to protection, medical and legal services.
Crisis support and safety planning
Available today, 24/7, through the 9898 hotline.
Substance-use support
Screening, brief support and referral for young people with alcohol or drug difficulties.
Family and caregiver sessions
Helping families understand and support recovery.
Survivor rehabilitation track
Survivor-centred rehabilitation for young survivors of torture and organised violence and their families.
Your journey
From first contact to recovery
At every step, you will be told what happens next. Nobody leaves without a plan or a named contact.
- 1
Arrive
Through 9898, a walk-in visit, the Mobile Clinic, or a referral from a school, protection service or health facility.
- 2
Welcome and consent
We explain how the clinic works, what confidentiality means and its limits, and ask for your consent.
- 3
Screen and assess
A short check of how you are and whether you are safe, then a fuller assessment with a supervised clinician.
- 4
Agree a plan
A written care plan agreed with you, and with your family where appropriate.
- 5
Care and review
Individual or group sessions and peer support, with progress reviewed after three months.
- 6
Follow-up or referral
A planned ending with a relapse-prevention plan, or a warm referral if you need specialist care.
Our commitments
Confidentiality, safeguarding, dignity
Confidentiality
What you share stays within the care team. It is only shared when someone is at serious risk of harm, a child is at risk of abuse, or the law requires it, and we will tell you first wherever it is safe.
Safeguarding
All staff are trained and vetted before working with clients. Disclosures of child abuse lead to a protective response.
Dignity and respect
Trauma-informed care at your pace. No one is pushed to share. No labels at the door.
Privacy of records
Records are coded and stored securely with restricted access. Only anonymised totals are ever reported.
For young people and families
Questions you might have
Not yet. The clinic is in its final preparation phase. Until it opens, please call 9898 for free, confidential support at any time. You can also contact us to hear when the clinic opens.
Move To Heal is designed to be affordable. It will use a sliding-scale fee model, with free and subsidised care for young people and families who cannot pay. Cost should never be the reason someone goes without care.
No. You will be able to come through 9898, by walking in, or through a referral from a school, health facility, protection service or community leader.
The clinic will follow Liberian law and Ministry of Health guidance on consent for young people under 18. Staff will explain clearly who needs to be involved and why, and will always put your safety first.
Listen without judging and encourage them to talk to someone. You can call 9898 together, or call on their behalf for advice. Read our guide on supporting someone who is struggling in Resources.
Support is available today
While Move To Heal prepares to open, call 9898 free, 24/7, from any phone in Liberia.