Support Service For Those With Mental Illness

Wednesday 10 October 2007

Warmline Launched for People Who Experience Mental Illness

A telephone peer support service for people who experience mental illness was launched on Monday by ComCare Trust, as the agency celebrated 20 years of providing services for Canterbury people with serious mental illness.

The Warmline, which is being funded by the Canterbury District Health Board, will be staffed by trained volunteers, all of whom have experienced mental illness themselves. It will operate from 7pm until 1am, seven nights a week.

ComCare Trust Executive Director Kay Fletcher said, “at this time of the evening, people do not have the same access to mental health support services as they do during the day. For many people experiencing mental illness, it can also be the time when they feel most isolated and anxious.”

“We hope this support line will be of particular value to rural people in Canterbury who experience mental illness,” she said.

The Warmline is not a crisis line but a “non-crisis listening service”, which aims to assist callers to work out solutions for themselves. Volunteers will all receive 12 weeks training before becoming telephone operators and ongoing mentoring and supervision while they are working for The Warmline.

“The support provided by volunteers will include a listening ear from a peer, help for callers to clarify their situation, assistance in identifying effective coping strategies and if appropriate information about other services,” Kay Fletcher said.

“Peer support is all about giving and receiving help based on key principles of respect, shared responsibility and mutual agreement of what is helpful.”

For further information about the service, please contact the Warmline Office on 3798 412. For peer support through the Warmline call 0800 89 92 76.

ENDS

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