Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs has introduced a new youth-focused volunteer initiative that trains young people to offer psychological first aid to peers facing emergencies or crises. The program, announced on October 27, aims to build community resilience by equipping youth with practical skills in listening, empathy and basic crisis support.
How the program works
The initiative, called the HEART Associates Youth Wing, falls under the Human Emergency Assistance and Response Teams network. Its first cohort includes 30 young participants, with roughly 100 people total having expressed interest; most of the remaining applicants are expected to join by year's end, according to Channel NewsAsia. Participants include third-year polytechnic students as well as undergraduate and master's-level students studying psychology, social work and related mental health fields.
Training combines lectures, role-playing exercises, group discussions and case studies led by specialists. The curriculum focuses on empathetic communication, attentive listening and techniques for supporting someone experiencing acute psychological distress - not clinical treatment, but immediate, supportive contact during difficult moments.
Why peer-to-peer support matters
Sim Ann, Singapore's Second Minister for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs, presented the program at a forum hosted by the Ministry of Home Affairs' psychology division. She noted that young people, like adults, can experience significant psychological distress during crises and often turn first to friends rather than authorities or professionals for support.
Deong Siew Man, director of psychological research at the ministry's psychology division, said younger volunteers may be uniquely positioned to reach their peers because of their familiarity with youth slang and social media platforms - channels where many young people first signal distress or seek help informally.
Part of a broader professional network
The Youth Wing extends the HEART Professionals Network, which the ministry established in July 2025 to connect Home Team psychologists with professional associations working in mental health and crisis response. By creating a youth-specific branch, officials appear to be betting that trained peers can serve as an accessible first point of contact, complementing - not replacing - professional mental health services.
The program remains in an early stage, with a small initial cohort and no publicly detailed data yet on outcomes or long-term evaluation plans. As with similar peer-support models elsewhere, its effectiveness will likely depend on sustained training quality, clear referral pathways to licensed professionals, and ongoing supervision to ensure volunteers recognize the limits of their role.