Peer-to-Peer Support Line
Location
The Peer-to-Peer Support Line of the Mental Health Association of Morris County provides after-hours telephone counseling to people with mental illness. It is staffed by trained operators who are in recovery from mental illness. The operators also use it as a stepping stone towards paid employment.
About You
Section 1: About You
First Name
Andy
Last Name
Germak
Website URL
Country
United States
Section 2: About Your Organization
Organization Name
Mental Health Association of Morris County, Inc.
Organization Website
Organization Phone
1-973-334-3496
Organization Address
100 Route 46 East, Building C, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046
Organization Country
United States
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Your idea
Name Your Project
Peer-to-Peer Support Line
Country your work focuses on
United States
Describe Your Idea
The Peer-to-Peer Support Line of the Mental Health Association of Morris County provides after-hours telephone counseling to people with mental illness. It is staffed by trained operators who are in recovery from mental illness. The operators also use it as a stepping stone towards paid employment.
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
The Peer-to-Peer Support Line is not a hot-line but a "warm" line. In other words, its purpose is not to handle crisis but to avert crisis by providing an outlet for people with mental illness to talk. What makes this idea unique is that the warm line is staffed by operators who are in recovery from mental illness who can empathize with the callers and offer support. The operators receive training in crisis intervention so they can refer a caller in crisis to psychiatric emergency services if needed. The operators also receive training in empathic listening.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
No
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
In 2008, we operated one toll-free number and provided 647 hours of service by 9 operators to 120 individuals. However, we currently have a waiting list of some 20 individuals that want to be trained as operators. In addition, callers report frequent busy signals because only one toll-free line is operational. We would like to expand to 3 phone lines, 30 operators, and over 400 callers – some 12,000 calls per year.
We believe that we have been able to free up psychiatric emergency services and the hotlines for true emergencies. Callers can call the Peer-to-Peer Support Line when they are lonely, sad, or anxious and receive support. The Peer-to-Peer Support Line is available from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. 365 evenings per year when the callers are most likely to feel the need to talk.
Problem
People with mental illness often feel isolated and must cope with feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. This sometimes causes them to use the hotline or to reach out to psychiatric emergency services to talk. This ties up resources that were meant to be dedicated for true psychiatric emergencies. Also, people with mental illness experience barriers to employment mostly due to stigma.
Actions
We recruit people who are in recovery from mental illness to work for the Peer-to-Peer Support Line. We have a toll-free number which relays the calls to the operators in their own homes. This allows the operators to be free of the need for transportation in order to do their work. The Peer-to-Peer Support Line is made available to callers between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily. The operators are trained in empathic listening and crisis intervention. Calls are logged and reviewed by a supervisor with a Master's degree in Counseling. The volunteers build on their success at Peer-to-Peer Support Line, using the experience towards future paid employment.
Results
In 2007, 82% of callers surveyed reported that Peer-to-Peer Support Line was very helpful in giving support. Of the callers surveyed who called the line when thinking of calling the psychiatric emergency service, 88% felt that the line met their needs. Of the operator staff surveyed, 86% felt that their work experience on the line was very helpful in developing job skills. Also, 86% of the operators felt it was very helpful in learning how to help people in need.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
With our Peer-to-Peer Support Line so popular, we have problems with busy signals which keep callers waiting for their turn to talk. During 2010, we need to attract more funding for a second and third line, to maintain accessibility of the service to more callers. We need to continue our current funding base, seek follow-on funding, and continue to recruit qualified operators.
During 2011, we will need to maintain our funding sources from 2010 to keep the second and third lines operational. We could anticipate recruiting more volunteers and advertise our service more extensively.
During 2012, we will need to assess where we are with our service, maintain our funding and continue to expand if appropriate. We can provide assistance to our volunteers in finding future employment positions and offer that as an incentive to volunteering.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
If we do not expand our line capacity to address the problem of callers getting a busy signal, they may become discouraged and not use the service, and may resort back to using the hotline and psychiatric emergency services. Funding is critical to securing additional lines to prevent a busy signal. We also need to recruit operators who are in recovery from mental illness and advertise our service in more places in our community.
How many people will your project serve annually?
101‐1000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Less than $50
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for more than 5 years
In what country?
United States
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
Mental Health Association of Morris County, Inc.
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
No
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Our partnerships with other non-profits open doors for us to recruit our operators who are in recovery from mental illness and to advertise to our callers. We can take referrals from these agencies and distribute fliers. Some of these places include hospitals, homeless shelters, and welfare offices.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1) Increase funding
2) Add one or more phone lines to handle call volume
3) Increase publicity to recruit more volunteers and attract more callers to the service
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
The Peer-to-Peer Support Line is based on the modern-day Recovery Model of the 1980’s, with one of the components of recovery being peer support. Peer line was supposed to be synonymous with social justice. The original purpose of the Peer Line was to promote the consumer mental health movement that really began to take off with the Recovery Model. Many Peer Line workers began to “find their voice” and to incorporate new positive roles into their schemas and to shake loose self-stigmatizing images of mental illness. The Peer Line continues to be a venue for consumers to help other consumers find hope and to share their stories of recovery. When the idea of a peer-run warm line was conceived, Morris County’s mental health system (as it was throughout the nation) was based on a medical model that trained mental health professionals to be the “experts” and authoritarians when treating people with mental illness. Today the Wellness and Recovery model has for the most part replaced medical model for treatment and care of people with mental illness.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
Incorporated in 1953, the Mental Health Association of Morris County’s mission is to empower people with mental illness to lead quality lives in the community of their choice, to decrease the stigma of mental illness, to increase public awareness of mental health and mental illness, to promote mental wellness, and to fill gaps in the Morris County mental health system. Unlike most mental health agencies, the Mental Health Association of Morris County employs people who are in recovery from mental illness in all of its programs. Thirty-five percent of the workforce of the Mental Health Association of Morris County are people who are in recovery from mental illness. It is no surprise then that the Mental Health Association of Morris County also uses volunteers in recovery from mental illness for the Peer-to-Peer Support Line. The Mental Health Association of Morris County offers other programs that are innovative. For instance, the Healthy Cooking Club is a group of consumers who plan, shop, and cook with healthy recipes and produce a cookbook at the end of the year. The Supportive Housing Program employs consumers who daily visit others who are new to recovery and assist them with errands and chores. Consumers are used in the soup kitchens in Morristown and Dover to reach out to homeless mentally ill and help them get the medication they need and shelter. We also employ consumers as case managers in our homeless outreach program and intensive case management services program.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Through another organization or company
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
Foundation Center
 | davis07 said: I have checked your site and I invite others please check it because the information that is available in your site can spell bound any ... about this Competition Entry. - 658 days ago read more > |
| mhamc said: Naveen, thank you for your comments. Our peer-to-peer line is a low-cost solution for providing non-crisis intervention which often ... about this Competition Entry. - 764 days ago read more > |
| Naveen Shakir said: This is a solid model and the peer-to-peer element is really great. The transition to employable skills is extremely useful, and it’s ... about this Competition Entry. - 781 days ago read more > |
| mhamc said: Yes, Melanie, busy signals do show how popular the line is but we are trying to expand so we can eliminate the busy signal. Thanks for ... about this Competition Entry. - 836 days ago read more > |
| mhamc said: Michelle, I couldn't agree more. Thanks for the feedback! -Andy about this Competition Entry. - 836 days ago read more > |
| mborden said: Great idea to post this innovative and creative program. What a great opportunity this is to expand awareness of peer supported actions ... about this Competition Entry. - 837 days ago read more > |
| gruhn said: I think that expanding the warm line to accommodate more callers is a great idea. Getting a busy signal just shows how popular the ... about this Competition Entry. - 842 days ago read more > |
| mhamc said: Sarah, what a great idea! Our goal is to expand our support line first locally/regionally and then we will have the capacity to ... about this Competition Entry. - 843 days ago read more > |
| Sarah Mintz said: Great entry Andy - "warm line", "empathic listening training", I'm a fan! Just out of curiosity, have you ever ... about this Competition Entry. - 843 days ago read more > |
| sharon eckhardt said: As the President of the Board of the Mental Health Association of Morris County, I know this to be a wonderful and effective program. As ... about this Competition Entry. - 849 days ago read more > |
Comments
Andy, thank you for the description of your warm-line. Research has shown that warm-lines and other peer-operated crisis alternatives can be very effective, so you are to be commended for developing this program. A few resources that may be helpful to you include:
Andy, I certainly appreciate the work you are doing and I applaud your mindset of crisis prevention as opposed to crisis intervention. I'm curious about a couple of things: Do you know what percentage of the people using the warm-line are young adults? I'd also like to know if you have a plan in place to do outreach to young people. There have been numerous times, as a young person with bipolar disorder, I've wished there was a line I could call and talk to a peer who maybe was dealing with similar issues or was at least willing to listen. There have been times when I felt guilty calling a crisis hotline when I was not an immediate danger to myself or others. In absence of that I tried to lean on community support groups, but obviously those are less accessible than a warm-line. I'd love to know the diversity in age among the trained operators. I've found that, at least in support groups, most of the members are at least 20 to 40 years my senior and that limited the effectiveness of the group and how well we could relate to each others struggles. Experiencing depression in high school or mania in the midst of a college quad is much different from losing your house because of reckless manic spending. All that being said: Keep up the work you are doing! It is tremendously important! - Marc Peters, Active Minds, Inc.
Hi Marc,
Thanks for your feedback! Our organization currently serves people ages 18 and older. Our warm-line takes most of its calls from anonymous callers and therefore I don't know what percentage would be young adults. However, your plan to do more outreach to young adults is a very good one. We are hoping to find some funding to enhance our service, including an enhancement of our marketing. Perhaps we could advertise at high schools and colleges in our area to reach a young audience. Again, thanks for the valuable comments!
Andy Germak, http://www.mhamorris.org
I have checked your site and I invite others please check it because the information that is available in your site can spell bound any one.and the images that you have shown in this site also very attractive. There is one more site that I have visited, provide me information that is really unique and the service that they offer also I have experienced mcse, really I enjoy this service so I request others please visit this and I want to tell you that after enjoying this service you’ll enjoy it again and again its .
Steven, thanks for your feedback. These resources are great. I will share with others at my organization. Best Regards, Andy Germak, http://www.mhamorris.org.
I loved reading about your idea. Research shows that peer support can be quite effective in helping people cope with stress and mental illness. I think it's great that you recognize that many people are often in need of support who may have nowhere to turn other than an ER or a hotline -- you have provided a resource specifically for them that didn't otherwise exist. I'm a big fan of the fact that you use people in recovery as the operators, which I'm sure helps them in their recovery as well. Everyone benefits!
I'm wondering whether you have a plan in place to follow up with the people who call in. Do you check in on them later? Or do you assume that they will call back if they need you again?
It's great that you send out a survey to get feedback on how people who use your service feel about it. This is important data for you to use in obtaining the grants you need to expand the program. Aside from consumer satisfaction, is it possible for you to also take a look at whether your peer support line prevents crises down the road or reduces the need for your clients to access more expensive interventions that people often avoid (medication, psychiatry, etc.)? Have you had discussions with local providers (emergency departments for example) who could attest to your warm line's positive impact on the community and reduction of the need to use services that are better left for full-on crisis situations?
Also, I wanted to say I enjoyed reading about the other neat programs your organization has for people who are mentally ill, like the Cooking Club. You seem to be a very innovative group!
-- Katherine Stone, Postpartum Progress, http://postpartumprogress.typepad.com
Katherine,
Thank you so much for your wonderful comments!! I oversee this program at the Mental Health Association of Morris County. Due to the nature of the support line being anonymous we do not check in with callers to assess how they have been helped. However yearly we do satisfaction surveys for both our providers of the service and the recipients. For the recipients we ask them to rate their satisfaction with the level of support and resources that are provided as well as how long they have been calling the line and how often. On this survey we also have a question that asked if they utilized the Peer Line instead of calling Psychiatric Emergency Services and was it helpful. Every year we have reported anywhere from 90%-100% that we are meeting callers needs who thought about calling the crisis centers. Most of the callers that access our line are regulars and use the line between one to two times a week or nightly.
We also have relationships with the local emergency services so they refer callers to our line who are not appropriate for a hotline call. As you also mentioned people who work the support line are helped tremendously in their recovery as well. Many of our workers never dreamed of getting back to work or being a support to others in their situation. It has given them a chance to give back.
Christa
As the President of the Board of the Mental Health Association of Morris County, I know this to be a wonderful and effective program. As others have pointed out, it serves the needs of both the callers and the operators. Most who call are not in crisis, but need someone to talk to, who understands what they are feeling. Perhaps many would end up in crisis if they did not have this kind of support. For the operators, it is a chance to reach out and share what they have experienced, in a way that helps others. In addition, it provides them with the training to become employed in a meaningful way. Having had a brother with schizophrenia, who used me as his "warm line", I know first-hand the importance of hearing that caring voice on the other end of the line.
Great entry Andy - "warm line", "empathic listening training", I'm a fan! Just out of curiosity, have you ever considered setting up a Skype line for Peer-to-Peer Support? May be a low cost way to provide support to a broader audience. Best of luck!
Sarah, what a great idea! Our goal is to expand our support line first locally/regionally and then we will have the capacity to expand to other areas. You are right - the warm line is a very low-cost way to provide support services.
I think that expanding the warm line to accommodate more callers is a great idea. Getting a busy signal just shows how popular the warm line is at this point. More hours and more lines are a good way to make the service available to more people.
Yes, Melanie, busy signals do show how popular the line is but we are trying to expand so we can eliminate the busy signal. Thanks for your comment! -Andy
Great idea to post this innovative and creative program. What a great opportunity this is to expand awareness of peer supported actions as an effective way to assist people who are struggling and in need of someone who can listen and understand their struggles.
Michelle, I couldn't agree more. Thanks for the feedback! -Andy
This is a solid model and the peer-to-peer element is really great. The transition to employable skills is extremely useful, and it’s wonderful that this is helping people with mental illnesses take action! Would you mind providing some more information on how you work through the existing infrastructure and then scale? Is this initiative integrated into other programs? Is it preventative? Also, what is the expected cost to maintain this initiative? We would also love to hear more about the volunteer experience, so would you mind providing a profile of a volunteer? Great entry!
- Naveen Shakir, Ashoka’s Changemakers
Naveen, thank you for your comments. Our peer-to-peer line is a low-cost solution for providing non-crisis intervention which often diverts people from using more costly psychiatric emergency services. I believe that this project is very scalable because there is not much infrastructure to work through. Our operators receive calls in their homes. Therefore there is little overhead cost. Our volunteers are consumers of mental health services that want to "give back" by working as operators on the phone line. After a successful period of working in this capacity, many of our volunteers move on to outside employment. If you would like more specific information on our program, feel free to give me a call at 1-973-334-3496. Again, thanks for your feedback!