Illinois Warm Line: Not a “hot line”
Support for everyday challenges

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[December 26, 2019]  At the quarterly meeting of the Community Health Collaborative, the guest speaker for the day was Trenda Hedges of the Illinois Warm Line. The Warm Line is a different kind of support service for those who are not in crisis, but are in need of some emotional support or reinforcement as they work through recovery from drug or alcohol dependency.

The goal of the Warm Line is to give people an opportunity to vent their feelings and work through whatever tough emotional circumstance they are going through before it becomes a crisis that could lead to suicide or a return to drug addiction.

Hedges said that the Warm Line has a limited number of staff on hand, but each one has had first-hand experience in emotional drama. They have suffered with mental issues of their own and have worked through them and come out on the other side better for it. Now they are making themselves available to offer empathy. Because they have been through it themselves, they understand fully how big a small issue can become when someone suffering cannot find a release.



The majority of the staff is Certified Recovery Support Specialists (CRSS). They are professionally trained in advocacy, mentoring, and recovery support in addition to their life experiences.

When someone calls the warm line, there are no expectations from the staff. The caller leads the conversation in the direction they need for it to go. The CRSS may just listen and let the caller vent, he or she may offer referrals to other professional services, or they may offer guidance to help the caller see their own value and appreciate their own self-worth.

Some of the most valuable assistance the Warm Line offers is the WRAP or Wellness Recovery Action Plan. The CRSS staff member will talk the caller through a plan with steps aimed at keeping the caller on track in their progress toward good mental health or to a life drug free, whichever is needed.

Hedges also noted that the WRAP is not just for those suffering with mental health issues. It is a well utilized program for those with physical health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and is used in many weight management programs.

The staff will also help callers identify their “triggers,”the events that lead to stress, anxiety, thoughts of self-harm, or desire to return to drug usage. Finding the true trigger points and making a plan of how to combat those triggers will help work through a bad time.

Triggers might be old friends who bring on the desire to drink excessively or use drugs. In that situation a new set of friends who support abstinence could offer a remedy.

Another key to the success of this program is that the CRSS team recognizes that they are not the experts on the caller’s life – the caller is. Hedges commented, “No one knows you better than you.” Success plans are outlined according to the “expert knowledge’ the caller has on him or herself, and is not a cookie cutter, one-size-fits all program.

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Sometimes a person may call who believes that he or she is the only one who is struggling with a particular issue. The CRSS team is trained to share. When they too have a life experience that relates to the caller’s situation, they share their experiences to let the caller know that others have the same issues. Furthermore, others have suffered through similar scenarios and come through it, so the caller can too, with love and support from the Warm Line as well as support from family and friends.

Hedges said that the calls are not recorded, there is no “case” file and callers can be anonymous if they need to be. There is also no charge for the service and the caller will not be asked to provide any information about health insurance.

The program will not prescribe medications and does not offer medical advice for physical ailments.

Hedges said that to date in 2019 the Warm Line has received 16,000 calls. The calls are limited to 20 minutes, but those can be some very productive minutes.

She shared some quotes from callers:

“Knowing that you’ve been there and (to) know that recovery works, helps me more than anything else.”

“After talking with you I feel like I have direction to get back on track.”

“I now believe in myself and recovery.”

“I realize now that I want to live.”

“This is my daily wellness tool.”

Regarding the last quote, Hedges told the group at CHC that they have one caller who has called every single day since the Warm Line opened.

After speaking, Hedges took questions from the group. One person in the group asked if the Warm Line was suitable for kids. Hedges said that it is. The CRSS staff can speak with parents and offer them guidance and can also speak directly a child about whatever is troubling them.

Another person in the group asked about where the Warm Line gets information on referrals. Hedges said that they do have a data base of professional service providers and also use typical online searches.
 


She added that there is a website that is very helpful in searching out resources and everyone can use it. It is AuntBerthas.com.

The Warm Line is available to callers Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone number is 866-359-7953. The Warm Line offices are located in central Illinois. Hedges said that they do not disclose the location of the offices because they are not equipped to offer face-to-face services to the community

The Warm Line is offered through Beacon Health Options and the Illinois Mental Health Collaborative. The collaborative also has a website where information can be found about the Warm Line. That website is www.illinoismentalhealthcollaborative.com.

[Nila Smith]

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