WARM LINE
Our Telephone Warm Line was created to fill a request from Members who wished our Organization was open on weekends and more so during the holiday season. In December 2009 some of our Staff and Volunteers stepped forward and suggested to our Executive Director that she allow them the chance to try this out. She willingly agreed if they provided a basic guideline to use which was created. During the 2009 Christmas Season this line was open to only Members using the regular telephone line of PSNE forwarded to personal cell phones from 6 am to Midnight all weekends and holidays. The line had an awesome response! Our Executive Director decided as long as there was a regular schedule with regular Volunteers and followed the guidelines that would be enhanced as needed this Warm Line could continue. For the first six (6) months into 2010 the Volunteers and Staff of PSNE did not do alot of outside advertising but the Warm Line continued to work Weekends and Holiday. In June our Members were leaving some messages after hours on our answering message requesting the Volunteer to call them. Again we found the need was increasing. Once again our Executive Director stepped up and said lets do this all the way...A better equiped Manual is being worked on to allow other Volunteers to join in. IN the meantime our main 2-3 Volunteers are running this WARM LINE every day from 6 pm to Midnight and it is available to EVERYONE who is a Consumer Survivor.
HOW It Works
1. A Consumer Survivors is... A Survivor who has experienced any or all of the following: a) Concerns around their own personal mental and / or emotional health; b) Sought the support and / or counselling of a psychiatrist, psychologist, self-help group, or even your family doctor: c) Has had an admission to a psychiatric facility or received care on an outpatient basis.
2. The WarmLine is NOT a replacement for the Crisis and Invention Unit, the Police, the Hospital or any other Emergency Need
It is an ALTERNATIVE to calling the Police, Hospital or Crisis & Intervention when a Survivor needs to know someone is available and willing to listen just like a friend
and NOT an Emergency Situation.
3. Volunteers are required to contact the local authorities when they feel an Emergency Situation is occuring and will provide as much information as possible to ensure the safety of the caller.
4. You do not have to provide your full name, but a name to call you when talking is awesome
5. What to talk about.... Daily Life – Money, Loneliness, Problem with a Friend/Family, Anything you wish to talk about
HOURS
1. Everyday from 6 pm to Midnight, including Holidays
2. Our Volunteers try to limit each call to 10 – 15 minutes so others can reach them too
3. You may call back as many times as needed but the call must be terminated to check our answering machine after the alloted time.
PLEASE NOTE: When others have left a message the Volunteer must also answer their call and may forward your call on to another Volunteer if they are busy.
WHAT To Do If You Do NOT Reach A Live Voice
1. This line has an answering machine
2. Leave a telephone Number if you want a call back
3. OR call the WarmLine back in 10 – 15 minutes
PLEASE NOTE: When others have left a message the Volunteer must also answer their call and may forward if you provide a callback phone number to another Volunteer if they are busy.
To Reach the WARM LINE CALL
519 – 631 – 1580