The National Alliance on Mental Illness has launched a new mental health support line to provide young people support during the coronavirus outbreak and beyond.

NAMI’s Maine chapter said the effort is a new mental health program for Maine residents age 14 to 20. The organization said the line, which is intended for text messages, will be staffed by people age 19 to 23 and can provide youths with a safe way to talk to peers.

NAMI Maine chief executive officer Jenna Mehnert said the group “saw the need to create a mental health peer support teen text line” in a time when people’s lives have been affected by the virus.

The text line is 207-515-8398. It’s scheduled to operate from noon to 10 p.m. every day.