Montana Recovery Warmline

1-877-688-3377

The Montana Recovery Warmline has been taking calls since 2008 - for almost 14 years we've heard your stories, your struggles and how you can't find providers/therapist/counselors, who to talk to when you are in your dark place, have no support at home, we've heard them all and have always continued to listen and offer unconditional support. We will be here to continue to take your calls for many years to come. We might have limited service until we work out some issues on our end. Thank you for the continued support through these difficult times.


Call   877-688-3377

   Monday - Thursday 10am - 9pm, Friday- Sunday 1pm - 7pm

Thank you! to PACIFICSOURCE! for always believing in prevention and our Montana Warmline.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Supporting the MT Warmline

To whom it may concern,

As a mental health consumer who has had access to warmlines throughout the country over the span of a decade, I maintain that the Montana Warmline is nonpareil in its effectiveness,as it is consistently staffed by professional and, yet, relatable and understanding people, who convey a sense of respect and non-judgement.

I consistently come away from a call feeling uplifted, because they not only impart a sense of theoretical understanding of my issues, but they actually respond from an authentically human place. It can truly be like a therapy session.

In conclusion, I pray that the healing work undertaken by this well-trained and wise staff will be allowed to continue in its unique fashion, as genuine authentic connection in these times can be sorely lacking. I have much appreciation for those who have taken my calls, since 2011.

Sincerely,

C.......

Supporting the MT Warmline

Aloha,

I am a responder for the Mental Health America of Montana Recovery Warmline. I've been a responder for this warmline for approximately 1.5 years, and I was a sexual assault crisis line responder for nearly 8 years prior to my move from Hawaii to Montana. I'm also currently a team lead for the ACT program in north central Montana.

Not only am I saddened to learn that the Recovery Warmline is in jeopardy, I am disheartened to learn that the Warmline was not included in the network of call centers planned to be affiliated with the state's new 988 crisis response system.

This Recovery Warmline is known nationwide and has positively impacted the lives of tens of thousands of callers, thousands in the year and a half I've been employed by MHA of MT. Nearly every call I answer ends with an expression of gratitude. Callers have said to me "I'm so glad you people exist," "thank God for warmlines," "I don't know what I would have done if we didn't talk today," and "you guys are life savers." I have answered calls from people in crisis multiple times, people experiencing suicidal ideation and/or a worsening of mental health symptoms. Some callers appear to be delusional and many of them are frightened. The people that call this warmline often express a lack of social, familial, community, or professional support, saying things like "I don't have anyone else to talk to," and "nobody listens to me except you guys."

Warmline responders are trained to recognize safety concerns and provide a warm handoff for callers in serious crisis or danger. However, many callers report that they have previously sought assistance from who we would hand them off to, and request that we do not transfer them but that we stay on the line and provide a safe space for them to process whatever is happening at that time, their needs satisfied simply by a sympathetic and non-judgemental listening ear.

While the majority of callers to the Warmline are not in acute crisis, they are struggling. Struggling to maintain care for their self, to cope with mental health problems, addictions, and grief, and struggling with meeting their basic needs. Callers ask for information about resources, are seeking community inclusion, validation, and human connection. Let's not forget what troubles came to light through the shared experience of isolation and barriers to success that had to do with the COVID pandemic. Those of us in the fields of mental healthcare and social work can attest to the continued fallout from those experiences. Many people who don't need a crisis intervention still need an option that provides prevention and intervention to crisis. That's exactly what a warmline is. A prevention measure.

The Mental Health America of Montana Recovery Warmline absolutely needs to be an active resource for callers in Montana and beyond, and it absolutely ought to be an avenue for 988 calls to be directed. If the plan for 988 call diversions cannot be revised, then the plan for the funding that used to be allocated for this vital resource must be. Too many people who do not have another appropriate and accessible resource will be lost, many of whom could become a danger to themselves or others.

Reinstate funding for the Mental Health America of Montana Recovery Warmline, and make the connection between 988 calls and this invaluable resource.