The Bay Area mental health call line is now available to all Californians thanks to millions of dollars in state funding.
State Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblyman Phil Ting announced the $10.8 million infusion that will fund the call line, dubbed the Warm Line, for three years.
It’s the first such call line in California, according to organizers.
“We know about the mental health challenges that we have in California and we see the most extreme situations in our streets,” Wiener said. “But of course we know that so many Californians may not quite be in crisis but they are maybe just about in crisis or they are at risk of going into crisis.”
“They feel alone and isolated and they don’t necessarily want to go to the emergency room or they maybe don’t have the resources to seek out mental health care or counseling but they need support,” Wiener said.
The non-emergency Warm Line — which launched statewide Monday and is expected to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week by the end of the year — provides emotional support and mental health care referrals to anyone in the state via phone or text.
“It’s a very simple concept to say, ‘You’re not alone,'” Ting said. “You can use it anytime you want for any reason you want.”
The line is staffed by “peer counselors” who undergo up to two weeks of training and who have themselves experienced mental or emotional health issues.
The Warm Line has been serving an average of 2,000 people per month in the Bay Area since 2014, according to its website. The new funding will expand the service statewide in order to provide support to all
California residents.
To talk to a Warm Line counselor, people can call or text (855) 845-7415 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
12 comments
Republicans should be jumping on board with both feet to fund this.
They keep telling us that it’s not guns, that we have a Mental Health Problem – so where is Republican demands for increased funding for increased help for those folks?
Probably fine for people feeling lonely but not enough to get the very troubled off of the streets. More feel good politics.
@Rob:
Do you have evidence of Republicans who don’t support this?
“republicans bad” “guns bad” -Rob
What an interesting comment, Rob, but it seems to have more to do with the ideological battle you wage inside your mind than the article in question.
Probably fine for people feeling lonely but not enough to get the very troubled off of the streets. More feel good politics.
Will this help the folks living on the streets who have mental issues. I don’t think many of them have cell phones or access to a land line.
I think it a great service for some people because mental health issues can affect anyone, homeless or not. I hope it will benefit those in need.
No, we have a program to give them free syringes and safe spots to shoot up in hopes they stop using drugs and become productive members of society.
Good luck getting through. To really help it would need to be 24 hours.
The best therapy I ever had was in the confessional at Church it’s free.and good for the soul. Most people never even use it.
Often, greatest service to you can give your fellow man is to just listen.
Often, greatest service you can give to your fellow man is to just listen.
You’d have to be crazy to get on CA’s list of mental health issues.They eventually use it to take your rights and/or lock you up.
Hi.
For 24/7 support, including crisis and suicide prevention support, grief counseling, and referrals to over 1,600 social services programs in CCCo, simply dial 211 or text HOPE to 20121. Thanks!
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