ASK Family Services has teamed up with two other Kalamazoo-area mental health agencies. Together they’re offering a phone service called a warmline, as opposed to a hotline.
Callers don’t have to be in acute distress to use the service. It is there for anyone who needs someone to talk to, but it specifically aims to serve families in the region and to provide them with local resources.
Tabi Swain is the Peer Outreach Coordinator at ASK.
“If we can support parents, they are going to be in a better position to support their children,” Swain said. “And if children feel like they can speak to their parents, then they are going to have a lot better of a time dealing with whatever challenges they may be experiencing.”
Warmline calls are answered by peer or family advocates who have dealt with their own challenges.
“That validation and the non-judgment is a key to calmness for a lot of people,” Swain said.
Gryphon Place and Southwest Michigan Behavioral Health collaborated with ASK on the warmline, which is available Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 pm at 269-488-7735.