Connection, peer support, community. By and for young people in CT.

Free one-to-one peer support and an online community for teens and young adults across Connecticut.

Free | Confidential | By and for young people | Statewide

Need help finding the right place to start? Just ask – we’ll guide you.

What it is.

Positive Directions is the proud home of CTSupportGroup.org. The project provides an online platform for young people throughout Connecticut to build community and access peer support. It grew out of our TurningPointCT project, which over ten years gave almost 400,000 young people a place to share advice, experiences, and resources around mental health.

What makes it unique.

A Discord server & website where young people in CT share stories & content, connect to resources and supports, build community, and access peer support.

Free one-to-one peer support, virtually or in person, in English or Spanish, from trained peer supporters. For ages 16-29 in Connecticut.

An online and growing clearinghouse of people and groups across the state that provide trained peer support.

One-to-one peer support.

Our CT Support Group project manager, Quinn Jannetty, and peer support specialist, Jules Garcia, offer free individual peer support to teens and young adults in Connecticut. As young adult Recovery Support Specialists, they draw on their own experience and their training to help participants move toward their goals. To learn more, email qjannetty@positivedirections.org or text (475) 999-2605.

What is peer support.

Peer support is rooted in the sharing of lived experience, so people can connect with and support one another. It is collaborative and mutual, built on curiosity, consent, and choice, and it is non-hierarchical. It is different from counseling, and it can also be a complement to counseling.

Caring staff. Skilled support. Positive change.

People come to Positive Directions as a trusted partner, whether for one-on one support or community-level change. We meet you with respect, skill, and support, and help build the approaches and tools that make things better.

I’ve had 6 students come to me with concerns about a peer or friend that they became aware of after your QPR training. All these students brought forward valid and concerning situations and shared that the training helped them feel more confident addressing concerns and seeking help. Thank you again for the impact of this work—it’s clearly making a difference.

We are so fortunate to have Positive Directions serving Fairfield County- the team is compassionate, professional and extremely talented – I highly recommend them for young people and their families in need of their services.

Positive Directions is tremendous resource for our communities. The work done by this agency in all aspects of mental health and well-being is exceptional!

Positive Directions’ leadership of The Norwalk Partnership coalition gives us tools and resources that as partnering organizations and individuals we likely wouldn’t have otherwise. For example, the data from the youth surveys, where queer and marginalized youth have consistently shown up as highest risk, has created momentum and opportunities for Triangle Community Center to push on initiatives and programs specifically supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.

It was great being in your [training] session today. I learned a ton!

What a great addition Jennifer was to our school community. She connected with many students who seek her out, and she made an impact on their decision making and coping skills.

Need a different kind of support?

Counseling, medication management, and prevention education are all part of what we do.