NEW MEXICO: A warmline for people who just need to talk

December 11, 2015

News Type:  Weekly Spark, Weekly Spark News
Speaker:  New Mexico

KUNM

The Warmline in New Mexico, started this August, has received hundreds of calls transferred from New Mexico’s hotlines even without publicizing its phone number. Callers to the Warmline talk with other people who have had lived experience with mental illness and/or substance abuse. Some callers just need to talk, sometimes not having anyone else to talk with all day. They may be trying to head off a crisis before it occurs.  According to Kerry Greer, a certified peer-support worker at the Warmline,“You’re not advising them.You’re helping them to find out what they need to do themselves… As a peer support worker, you can tell your story. Our story’s a big part of giving hope to the callers that you can get better.”

Spark Extra! For more information on warmlines and a listing of them by state, check out the website Warmlines.