U-Matter

The U-Matter counselling service is a messaging-based chatline in partnership between the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC) at The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus. The service is provided by professionals from the field of counselling and psychology who were selected as volunteers under a competitive and rigorous process.

U-Matter provides counselling and psychosocial support. Volunteers are supervised by licensed counselling psychologists.

The service operates on the platform of UNICEF’s U-Report social messaging service for youth. U-Report provides a space for Jamaicans aged 16-29 years old to access U-Matter to send and receive written messages via WhatsApp, SMS, Instagram and Facebook Messenger.

Youth can access the chatline by messaging the word SUPPORT to U-Report at 876-838-4897 on WhatsApp or SMS (for free) or @ureportjamaica on Instagram or Facebook Messenger. The service is free, confidential and anonymous and persons can choose whether or not to access the service or opt out if they do.