May 28, 2025 • 23 mins
Mental health needs are at an all time high. Mental Health America Wisconsin is an organization that helps people in desperate need of immediate help. Funding for their Uplift Wisconsin Statewide Warmline, which took 24,000 calls in 2024, was abruptly cut by the federal government recently. Martina Gollin-Graves, the Executive Director and CEO of Mental Health America Wisconsin, discusses their work, their services, and the challenges they face to continue serving people in need. Martina and Mental Health America Wisconsin can be supported and reached at https://www.mhawisconsin.org/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:12):
Welcome everybody.
This is Avoiding The Addiction Affliction,brought to you by Westwords Consulting.
I'm Mike McGowan.
This is Mental Health Awareness Month.
To say it's an issue rightnow is a huge understatement.
We're gonna talk about the challengesand obstacles to getting help with
our guest, Martina Gollin-Graves.
(00:33):
Martina is the CEO of MentalHealth America of Wisconsin.
She has a master's degree in social work.
And expertise in clinical andmacro systems social work.
Welcome Martina.
Oh, thank you Mike.
It's nice to be here.
Well, I'm so glad you couldjoin us, especially this month.
I read, I read I think on the Alvernowebsite that you were initially
(00:54):
a clinician, but you enjoyeddirect service, but thought you
could help more in a bigger way.
(laughs) Oh, that's hilarious.
Yeah, I remember that article.
It's true.
As an undergrad at Alverno Ireally thought that I wanted
to be a therapist long term.
And when I went to grad school and wasexposed to many of the systems that
(01:16):
impact the people that I wanted toserve, that seemed to be, more aligned
with my own values and my interests.
So here I am macro social work.
Now well, I read it in theintroduction as expertise in clinical
and macro systems social work,because I didn't wanna get wrong.
Did, is that actually a degree?
(01:37):
So in the social work field atleast in my day, I'm not quite
sure how they offer it now.
Yep.
So I did a track.
To where I studied clinical socialwork, and so I did two internships
doing clinical practice, one at AuroraPsych and one at the counseling center.
And then I did another trackwhere I was deeply involved in
(01:59):
macro systems in the community.
So, you know, it's true.
(laughs)
Yeah, it's funny.
It's very similar to my belief system.
I thought I could help more on whenI was doing the prevention end of
it, and that's why I chose this.
Well, what is your work with MentalHealth America Wisconsin entail?
It's been around a long time.
It has been around a long time.
(02:20):
So literally we are celebrating our 95thyear of serving folks in the community.
We at one time were theMental Health Association.
And then we became the Mental HealthAssociation of Milwaukee County.
And our affiliate brand changedto Mental Health America.
And then we became the parentorganization, Mental Health America
(02:42):
of Wisconsin, oh gosh, about 20years ago, which is as long as
I've been with the organization.
Wow.
That's a long time.
It is.
Yeah.
And what is the UpliftWisconsin Statewide Warmline?
Yeah, so the work that we started outdoing as an agency way before my time was
(03:04):
really focused on advocacy, supportingindividuals and families who have
mental health and substance use issues.
But over the years we have really notchanged our mission to advocate, educate,
and serve, but really thinking abouthow to best serve our communities.
And so during COVID.
When people were isolated more and moreand it was harder for people to make
(03:28):
connections, we received some dollarsto start the Uplift Warmline, which is a
non-crisis telephone service that is atno cost to individuals across Wisconsin.
Did anybody use it?
Oh yeah.
(laughs) So our first year, interestinglywhen we finally got things up and running,
you know how that is with the new program?
(03:49):
Yep.
It was about a half a year.
We had about 10,000 callsin less than six months.
Our second year, so thatwas the end of 2023.
The second year, which was2024, we operated for the
entirety of the year, 12 months.
We had more than 24,000 calls.
And then just in the first quarterof 2025, we had 7,500 calls.
(04:14):
Wow.
Well, okay, that makes sense.
This is a time period where peopleare reporting increased mental
health concerns across the board.
Depression, anxiety, stress levels areway... including suicide attempts way up.
Who staffs the line?
Yeah, we really at Mental Health Americaacross the nation, but here in Wisconsin
(04:34):
we have a deep, deep, core value thatpeople with lived experience are some of
our best folks to provide interventions.
So that warmline was designed andimplemented and run by peers who have
lived experience with mental illnessand or substance use disorders.
(04:57):
So they ran the warmline and ran it well.
Wow.
So people with lived experience.
Offering support and guidanceto others, to their own peers?
Well, I have a few friends inthe news media, and they would
say, so far I've buried the lede.
So let me get to the lede.
What happened just alittle while ago in March?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, sadly.
We, as I mentioned this programwas born out of the need a
(05:21):
during and after the pandemic.
And so we received ARPA dollars,American Rescue Plan dollars to get the
program up and running for three years.
And so sadly our current administrationthought that because (finger quotes)
COVID is over that those dollarsweren't necessary any longer, not really
(05:42):
thinking big picture that the falloutof COVID as you just listed, a litany of
situations, depression, anxiety, increasedsuicides, increased suicide attempts.
Having a warmline is stillvery, very much relevant.
And those dollars thatsupported it through September
(06:03):
30th were very much needed.
But unfortunately, they were cut andour contract was cut and we had to end
this service as of April 8th, 2025.
How much notice?
Oh gosh, Mike, (laughs) it almost makesme emotional to even talk about it.
So we received a notice on March 27thfrom the Department of Health Services
(06:26):
here in Wisconsin that our contracthad actually ended on March 24th.
So we received the notificationon the 27th that our contract had
actually ended three days before.
There you go.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's like walking up the aisleand realizing the groom isn't there.
Right.
I'll leave that alone.
(06:47):
(laughs)
Yeah.
It's just so... And you know,we both live in Wisconsin, for
those of you listening elsewhere.
And we have one of the only states,well, we have the only state where the
reaction to the stress of COVID wasall 72 counties in Wisconsin reported
an uptick in excessive drinking.
Which is, you know, leads toall sorts of different stuff.
(07:10):
And the bleed over into mental healthand mental illness is staggering.
And you also address those issues.
Well, first of all,alcohol is a depressant.
So as you know, we, people don't think ofit in that clinical term, but when people
are struggling with their own wellness.
Alcohol can easily turn into dependency,a crutch, self-medication to help cope
(07:36):
with whatever the stressors might be.
So, yep, it makes sense thatpeople were drinking more.
Unfortunately, the safety nets that werenormally in place, whether that be your
colleagues at work or family members,people just weren't connected in the same
way to be able to recognize the red flags.
So a lot of those concerns wentmaybe unnoticed or unaddressed.
(07:57):
Well, and speaking of recognizing it,you said your hotline, your warmline,
sorry, I'll get that wrong several times.
Was staffed by peer specialists who hadbeen through it, what happened to them?
Yes.
So we really tried to, do a lotof outreach to the community.
So we had some fundraisers,which were still running.
But I actually reached out to some ofour local funders for emergency funding
(08:21):
and United Way responded graciously.
But, and so did a couple of others.
Unfortunately, because there was somuch uncertainty we were unable to
extend the warmline beyond the eighth.
And so I say that even though we hadreceived some emergency funding, that
funding really was to help cover thetime from the 24th until the eighth when
(08:47):
we weren't receiving funding, but stillproviding service to the community.
We really were trying to raisefunds to bridge the gap between
now and the fall, September 30th.
One of the pieces that is missingmaybe from this conversation is that
earlier on, before we had receivedthe notification of the termination
of our contract, we had been toldand had seen during the governor's
(09:11):
budget briefing that 1.2 millionhas been earmarked for the warmline.
And so the ARPA funding would'vetaken us through September 30th.
And that would've been areally nice transition for us.
Or if someone else was running thewarmline, the funding would've been there
in the fall when the ARPA funding ran out.
And then the governor's funding would'vepicked right up and there would've been
(09:35):
a seamless continuation of services.
So in a perfect world, youwould've bridged that gap.
And now if it does come through,you'll have to restart the whole.
Yeah.
So again, we have a couple of grantapplications pending which if we
(09:56):
receive any kind of substantialfunding, we would still need to operate
the warmline in a limited capacity.
Less hours, less staff until we were sureabout the governor's budget being passed.
And this money still being available.
And how often was the line open?
Yeah, so.
(10:18):
Right when I'm saying 24,000 people lastyear, people are probably going, wow.
We were open seven daysa week, 10 hours a day.
The state had originallywanted us to be open 24/7.
But I have an amazing team and they werereally tracking when calls were coming
and when the volume was the highest.
(10:39):
Apparently anytime after likemidnight, people really were
not utilizing the warmline.
So it was a way for us to be able tosave money so that we could continue the
service at the highest quality possibleand still be able to pay our, our
operators as much as we possibly could andremain open when people really needed us.
(11:01):
It didn't make sense to havesomeone staffing the line at 3:00
AM when no one was calling it.
It's always nice when you actually haveresearch available for the information.
So before I ask you if you'reoptimistic or whatever, so the people
who would be calling the line, now,what other options are available?
This creates a gap.
So now where do they go?
(11:24):
Yeah.
So because we didn't have a lot oftime, obviously, and that's part
of the reason, so when we receivedthe information on March 27th.
There was a lot of scrambling butmainly our warmline operators wanted
to make sure that callers knewand that they had time to pivot.
So we stayed open till April 8thso that we could, so not only
(11:47):
our callers, but also the staff.
I wanted to give them a chance to makesome arrangements for themselves, whether
that's unemployment or another job.
But all of our callers were informedthat when the warmline was ending.
And they were notified that MentalHealth America is still a resource.
So we are not open till,you know 12 hours a day.
(12:10):
But we do have someone duringbusiness hours who is able to,
take live calls, provide referralsand resource information.
And as well as we made sure that theyknew what the text line, what the other
crisis lines in the state, as well assome of the other lines prevention lines
across the nation that are open 24/7.
(12:30):
We made sure.
And so we also have a message whenpeople call, in case they didn't.
Call us during that week and a halfwhen we were making sure to notify.
Well, the National Line 988, theSuicide National Hotline is also
under the knife, so to speak.
And interestingly, 988 and the warmlinereally had different goals and purposes.
(12:54):
So we would typically not refer someoneto 988 if, they were unable to call Uplift
because if they're not in crisis, thenthey shouldn't be calling a crisis line.
That's why we have warmlines.
So there are, gosh, there's three respitesin the state of Wisconsin which are places
(13:14):
where people can go and have a free stay.
Up to seven days, at nocost to themselves, in an
effort to avoid a crisis.
And so they're called peerrespites, again, run by peers
who have lived experience.
And so each of the respites, that areopen 24/7, they also have peers on staff.
Is it ideal?
(13:35):
No.
But we made sure that people knew thatthat resource was available as well.
I think what a lot of people,Martina, since you've done this
your life and I have too, what a lotof people miss, they see the money
spent rather than the money saved.
Programs like this save a lot, youknow, the cost of going to an emergency
room or involving law enforcement.
(13:56):
Every time there's a mental health call, Ithink the entire fire department shows up.
That's just a little bitof hyperbole, but not much.
So it saves money as well as saving lives.
And that has been my message, so is I amso appreciative of folks like yourself
that have been reaching out, asking me toshare this, our story that is the truth.
(14:17):
And so this program was devised, whenDHS put out their request for proposal,
it was with the intent to decrease folksfrom having to utilize the emergency
room when it wasn't a crisis, butthey had no idea where else to go.
Or to be hospitalized, psychiatrichospitalizations or God forbid,
(14:41):
contact with law enforcement.
Right.
I think all of us would appreciate our lawenforcement doing the job that they were
intended to do, not being social workersand spending their whole shift and beyond
over time in a hospital waiting room.
Like that's just insane.
So.
The warmline, the respites,those were all created.
So when someone who knows themselvesthat they really need to take a break and
(15:08):
get some support, they know where to go.
We're there, whether they call us andtalk to... Some of our calls lasted
up to 45 minutes, sometimes an hour.
That's real support in real time.
And that's gone now.
Yeah.
When you talk about the fundingtrimming, you know, and everybody always
(15:28):
says, oh, I'm all for saving money.
Okay, all right.
But there needs to be some thought, justnot this cross the slash and burn, you
know, you don't burn the whole field downand you have data to support your stuff.
So it's the old, throw the babyout with the bath water thing.
We don't even, it seems like they'renot even aware of what's being cut.
(15:49):
As I mentioned, our understanding isthat the word, you know, that this, this
money was in response to the pandemic.
And so our current administrationreally is just slashing.
And anything that does not alignwith the current values or ideals
(16:10):
that's how they're making decisions.
And so, as I said.
People are still recovering and sohaving some place to call to decrease
anxiety and depression symptoms so thatthey can still get up and go to work
or still have healthy relationships,stay out of the hospital, not
have contact with law enforcement.
Makes perfect preventativesense to me, but apparently
(16:33):
everyone doesn't agree with that.
Yeah, I guess not.
(laughs) Are you now I know you have,I know, I know you have to walk a line
here because it's not until September yousaid, but are you hopeful that the state
of Wisconsin can fill the funding gap?
And for those of you listening inother states, we, the reason I'm
asking this is we have a, a Democraticgovernor, like some states and a
(16:57):
heavily Republican legislature whodon't always play nice in the sandbox.
They don't.
But I think our governor's effortsto increase dollars for mental
health and children's mental healthand have it well received speaks to
the overarching support for mentalhealth and wellness in our state.
(17:18):
I cannot say what will happen in Junewhen it's time to pass the budget.
But I am very hopeful and truthfully themoney that's earmarked is not guaranteed
to Mental Health America Wisconsin, butit is guaranteed to the Uplift program.
Right.
So I, you know, I wannamake that distinction.
(17:38):
So we would have to re-apply, butit's about the program, the service.
And we don't want that togo away for wisconsinites.
Do you know about hearings?
Have you been asked to testify,have people reached out to you?
No, interestingly not.
So there is a hearing from myunderstanding that was in the notice
that I received, tomorrow, April 16th.
(17:59):
That will determine the outcomeof the temporary restraining order
that was issued on April 4th.
I'm very interested, but no onehas asked for me to testify.
I would've happily hada few things to say.
Well I'm sure you're reaching out tothose people who will be making those
decisions just to let them know, you knowone way or another, here's how many people
(18:22):
have used it and here's what it saves.
Can you talk just for a minute,we'll get off of this for a second.
What other services does MentalHealth America Wisconsin provide?
Yeah, thank you for asking that.
Which has been part ofmy messaging, right?
So Uplift is going away, butwe want people to know that MHA
Wisconsin is still a resource.
So one of our largest initiativesthat most people are aware
(18:45):
of is our suicide prevention.
We are, I like to say we're smallbut mighty, but we are the leading
voice in suicide prevention.
And so we have a contract with DHSthat helps us to provide oversight
and technical assistance and training.
So we support more than 50 ofthe 72 counties in implementing
(19:08):
suicide prevention initiatives.
And then hence there's trainingand technical support to ensure
that people in communities aregetting the support that they need.
So suicide prevention.
We also, we have a annualsuicide prevention conference.
Again, bringing communities together.
(19:29):
We also provide outpatientclinical services.
So our outpatient clinic islocated in Milwaukee, but we're
able to serve the entire state ofWisconsin via telehealth if needed.
Just understanding that some ruralcommunities have very limited access.
And so we also are providingschool-based mental health in
(19:50):
five of Milwaukee public schools.
And we have a peer run veteran respitewhere this is a, I mentioned a respite
earlier, but not ours specifically.
So respites are for folks.
Again, wanting to avoid utilizationof crisis services and to avoid
a crisis in their own life.
(20:10):
But more importantly the respite is runby veterans who they themselves identify
as peers with lived experience with mentalillness and or substance use disorder.
So we have a lovely facilityin, it's a house, I shouldn't
say facility, in Pewaukee whereveterans can literally take respite.
(20:31):
It's called R&R House.
So any vets would get that reference.
Well, that's where I'msitting right now, so yeah.
Not in the facility, but...
No, no, not in the house [inaudible]
That's my hometown.
So how interesting.
And I didn't know.
So there you go.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We'll have to arrange a tour for you.
Yeah, that would be great.
(20:51):
And lastly, people I would imagine candonate or help or support whether it's a
phone call to their legislator or in someway, what would be helpful for people who,
'cause we have a lot of, Martina, we havea lot of therapists who listen to this.
A lot of people who have beenthrough stuff and like to reach
out and help when they can.
(21:12):
Yeah.
And I appreciate you asking that.
So yes, first of all, our websiteMHA Wisconsin all spelled out
.org is a great place to donate.
We are still runningcampaigns for the warmline.
Save the Warmline.
We actually have a fundraiser happeningon May 10th in the Fox Cities.
It's called Mocktail Bash.
(21:33):
Again, that is solely focusedon supporting the warmline.
Also please contact your legislators.
I think we don't emphasize how impactfulthat can be when they hear from their
constituents about a service thatis going away or that has an impact
whether personally for yourself, aloved one, or just your community?
(21:55):
So I encourage peopleto definitely reach out.
We have been really trying tospread the word in that capacity.
You know, Senator Baldwin is a staunchadvocate and supporter for mental health.
So yep, it still doesn't hurtto reach out to her office.
But Ron Johnson's office as well.
Gwen Moore is also an amazing supporter.
(22:15):
And then, you know, I just encourageyou to, when you're sharing
messaging, to remind people thatthese cuts are impacting real people.
Yes.
Who have real lives and real needs.
And so I think that sometimes getsforgotten when we're talking about you
(22:35):
know federal campaigns and federal cutsand a lot of bureaucratic verbiage.
I think people get lost and that we forgetthat this is happening to real people
in real time and that they need theseservices so that they can maintain their
independence in their own communities.
So I hope that people really will reachout to whomever and just share that this
(22:59):
is something that they think is of value.
Save's money, saves lives,saves time, saves souls.
I like that.
Yeah.
Martina thanks so much for I,this has to be a difficult time.
It's always difficult whenyou have no lead up to making
decisions that are this big.
As you know, Martina listed it.
(23:20):
But attached to podcasts, thereare links to Mental Health America
Wisconsin attached to the podcast blurb.
Thanks for being with us today, andthanks for your work and your dedication.
It's greatly appreciated.
For all of you listening,listen, anytime you're able.
Until then, stay safe, stay informed,and please let your voice be heard.
Welcome everybody.
This is Avoiding The Addiction Affliction,brought to you by Westwords Consulting.
I'm Mike McGowan.
This is Mental Health Awareness Month.
To say it's an issue rightnow is a huge understatement.
We're gonna talk about the challengesand obstacles to getting help with
our guest, Martina Gollin-Graves.
(00:33):
Martina is the CEO of MentalHealth America of Wisconsin.
She has a master's degree in social work.
And expertise in clinical andmacro systems social work.
Welcome Martina.
Oh, thank you Mike.
It's nice to be here.
Well, I'm so glad you couldjoin us, especially this month.
I read, I read I think on the Alvernowebsite that you were initially
(00:54):
a clinician, but you enjoyeddirect service, but thought you
could help more in a bigger way.
(laughs) Oh, that's hilarious.
Yeah, I remember that article.
It's true.
As an undergrad at Alverno Ireally thought that I wanted
to be a therapist long term.
And when I went to grad school and wasexposed to many of the systems that
(01:16):
impact the people that I wanted toserve, that seemed to be, more aligned
with my own values and my interests.
So here I am macro social work.
Now well, I read it in theintroduction as expertise in clinical
and macro systems social work,because I didn't wanna get wrong.
Did, is that actually a degree?
(01:37):
So in the social work field atleast in my day, I'm not quite
sure how they offer it now.
Yep.
So I did a track.
To where I studied clinical socialwork, and so I did two internships
doing clinical practice, one at AuroraPsych and one at the counseling center.
And then I did another trackwhere I was deeply involved in
(01:59):
macro systems in the community.
So, you know, it's true.
(laughs)
Yeah, it's funny.
It's very similar to my belief system.
I thought I could help more on whenI was doing the prevention end of
it, and that's why I chose this.
Well, what is your work with MentalHealth America Wisconsin entail?
It's been around a long time.
It has been around a long time.
(02:20):
So literally we are celebrating our 95thyear of serving folks in the community.
We at one time were theMental Health Association.
And then we became the Mental HealthAssociation of Milwaukee County.
And our affiliate brand changedto Mental Health America.
And then we became the parentorganization, Mental Health America
(02:42):
of Wisconsin, oh gosh, about 20years ago, which is as long as
I've been with the organization.
Wow.
That's a long time.
It is.
Yeah.
And what is the UpliftWisconsin Statewide Warmline?
Yeah, so the work that we started outdoing as an agency way before my time was
(03:04):
really focused on advocacy, supportingindividuals and families who have
mental health and substance use issues.
But over the years we have really notchanged our mission to advocate, educate,
and serve, but really thinking abouthow to best serve our communities.
And so during COVID.
When people were isolated more and moreand it was harder for people to make
(03:28):
connections, we received some dollarsto start the Uplift Warmline, which is a
non-crisis telephone service that is atno cost to individuals across Wisconsin.
Did anybody use it?
Oh yeah.
(laughs) So our first year, interestinglywhen we finally got things up and running,
you know how that is with the new program?
(03:49):
Yep.
It was about a half a year.
We had about 10,000 callsin less than six months.
Our second year, so thatwas the end of 2023.
The second year, which was2024, we operated for the
entirety of the year, 12 months.
We had more than 24,000 calls.
And then just in the first quarterof 2025, we had 7,500 calls.
(04:14):
Wow.
Well, okay, that makes sense.
This is a time period where peopleare reporting increased mental
health concerns across the board.
Depression, anxiety, stress levels areway... including suicide attempts way up.
Who staffs the line?
Yeah, we really at Mental Health Americaacross the nation, but here in Wisconsin
(04:34):
we have a deep, deep, core value thatpeople with lived experience are some of
our best folks to provide interventions.
So that warmline was designed andimplemented and run by peers who have
lived experience with mental illnessand or substance use disorders.
(04:57):
So they ran the warmline and ran it well.
Wow.
So people with lived experience.
Offering support and guidanceto others, to their own peers?
Well, I have a few friends inthe news media, and they would
say, so far I've buried the lede.
So let me get to the lede.
What happened just alittle while ago in March?
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, sadly.
We, as I mentioned this programwas born out of the need a
(05:21):
during and after the pandemic.
And so we received ARPA dollars,American Rescue Plan dollars to get the
program up and running for three years.
And so sadly our current administrationthought that because (finger quotes)
COVID is over that those dollarsweren't necessary any longer, not really
(05:42):
thinking big picture that the falloutof COVID as you just listed, a litany of
situations, depression, anxiety, increasedsuicides, increased suicide attempts.
Having a warmline is stillvery, very much relevant.
And those dollars thatsupported it through September
(06:03):
30th were very much needed.
But unfortunately, they were cut andour contract was cut and we had to end
this service as of April 8th, 2025.
How much notice?
Oh gosh, Mike, (laughs) it almost makesme emotional to even talk about it.
So we received a notice on March 27thfrom the Department of Health Services
(06:26):
here in Wisconsin that our contracthad actually ended on March 24th.
So we received the notificationon the 27th that our contract had
actually ended three days before.
There you go.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's like walking up the aisleand realizing the groom isn't there.
Right.
I'll leave that alone.
(06:47):
(laughs)
Yeah.
It's just so... And you know,we both live in Wisconsin, for
those of you listening elsewhere.
And we have one of the only states,well, we have the only state where the
reaction to the stress of COVID wasall 72 counties in Wisconsin reported
an uptick in excessive drinking.
Which is, you know, leads toall sorts of different stuff.
(07:10):
And the bleed over into mental healthand mental illness is staggering.
And you also address those issues.
Well, first of all,alcohol is a depressant.
So as you know, we, people don't think ofit in that clinical term, but when people
are struggling with their own wellness.
Alcohol can easily turn into dependency,a crutch, self-medication to help cope
(07:36):
with whatever the stressors might be.
So, yep, it makes sense thatpeople were drinking more.
Unfortunately, the safety nets that werenormally in place, whether that be your
colleagues at work or family members,people just weren't connected in the same
way to be able to recognize the red flags.
So a lot of those concerns wentmaybe unnoticed or unaddressed.
(07:57):
Well, and speaking of recognizing it,you said your hotline, your warmline,
sorry, I'll get that wrong several times.
Was staffed by peer specialists who hadbeen through it, what happened to them?
Yes.
So we really tried to, do a lotof outreach to the community.
So we had some fundraisers,which were still running.
But I actually reached out to some ofour local funders for emergency funding
(08:21):
and United Way responded graciously.
But, and so did a couple of others.
Unfortunately, because there was somuch uncertainty we were unable to
extend the warmline beyond the eighth.
And so I say that even though we hadreceived some emergency funding, that
funding really was to help cover thetime from the 24th until the eighth when
(08:47):
we weren't receiving funding, but stillproviding service to the community.
We really were trying to raisefunds to bridge the gap between
now and the fall, September 30th.
One of the pieces that is missingmaybe from this conversation is that
earlier on, before we had receivedthe notification of the termination
of our contract, we had been toldand had seen during the governor's
(09:11):
budget briefing that 1.2 millionhas been earmarked for the warmline.
And so the ARPA funding would'vetaken us through September 30th.
And that would've been areally nice transition for us.
Or if someone else was running thewarmline, the funding would've been there
in the fall when the ARPA funding ran out.
And then the governor's funding would'vepicked right up and there would've been
(09:35):
a seamless continuation of services.
So in a perfect world, youwould've bridged that gap.
And now if it does come through,you'll have to restart the whole.
Yeah.
So again, we have a couple of grantapplications pending which if we
(09:56):
receive any kind of substantialfunding, we would still need to operate
the warmline in a limited capacity.
Less hours, less staff until we were sureabout the governor's budget being passed.
And this money still being available.
And how often was the line open?
Yeah, so.
(10:18):
Right when I'm saying 24,000 people lastyear, people are probably going, wow.
We were open seven daysa week, 10 hours a day.
The state had originallywanted us to be open 24/7.
But I have an amazing team and they werereally tracking when calls were coming
and when the volume was the highest.
(10:39):
Apparently anytime after likemidnight, people really were
not utilizing the warmline.
So it was a way for us to be able tosave money so that we could continue the
service at the highest quality possibleand still be able to pay our, our
operators as much as we possibly could andremain open when people really needed us.
(11:01):
It didn't make sense to havesomeone staffing the line at 3:00
AM when no one was calling it.
It's always nice when you actually haveresearch available for the information.
So before I ask you if you'reoptimistic or whatever, so the people
who would be calling the line, now,what other options are available?
This creates a gap.
So now where do they go?
(11:24):
Yeah.
So because we didn't have a lot oftime, obviously, and that's part
of the reason, so when we receivedthe information on March 27th.
There was a lot of scrambling butmainly our warmline operators wanted
to make sure that callers knewand that they had time to pivot.
So we stayed open till April 8thso that we could, so not only
(11:47):
our callers, but also the staff.
I wanted to give them a chance to makesome arrangements for themselves, whether
that's unemployment or another job.
But all of our callers were informedthat when the warmline was ending.
And they were notified that MentalHealth America is still a resource.
So we are not open till,you know 12 hours a day.
(12:10):
But we do have someone duringbusiness hours who is able to,
take live calls, provide referralsand resource information.
And as well as we made sure that theyknew what the text line, what the other
crisis lines in the state, as well assome of the other lines prevention lines
across the nation that are open 24/7.
(12:30):
We made sure.
And so we also have a message whenpeople call, in case they didn't.
Call us during that week and a halfwhen we were making sure to notify.
Well, the National Line 988, theSuicide National Hotline is also
under the knife, so to speak.
And interestingly, 988 and the warmlinereally had different goals and purposes.
(12:54):
So we would typically not refer someoneto 988 if, they were unable to call Uplift
because if they're not in crisis, thenthey shouldn't be calling a crisis line.
That's why we have warmlines.
So there are, gosh, there's three respitesin the state of Wisconsin which are places
(13:14):
where people can go and have a free stay.
Up to seven days, at nocost to themselves, in an
effort to avoid a crisis.
And so they're called peerrespites, again, run by peers
who have lived experience.
And so each of the respites, that areopen 24/7, they also have peers on staff.
Is it ideal?
(13:35):
No.
But we made sure that people knew thatthat resource was available as well.
I think what a lot of people,Martina, since you've done this
your life and I have too, what a lotof people miss, they see the money
spent rather than the money saved.
Programs like this save a lot, youknow, the cost of going to an emergency
room or involving law enforcement.
(13:56):
Every time there's a mental health call, Ithink the entire fire department shows up.
That's just a little bitof hyperbole, but not much.
So it saves money as well as saving lives.
And that has been my message, so is I amso appreciative of folks like yourself
that have been reaching out, asking me toshare this, our story that is the truth.
(14:17):
And so this program was devised, whenDHS put out their request for proposal,
it was with the intent to decrease folksfrom having to utilize the emergency
room when it wasn't a crisis, butthey had no idea where else to go.
Or to be hospitalized, psychiatrichospitalizations or God forbid,
(14:41):
contact with law enforcement.
Right.
I think all of us would appreciate our lawenforcement doing the job that they were
intended to do, not being social workersand spending their whole shift and beyond
over time in a hospital waiting room.
Like that's just insane.
So.
The warmline, the respites,those were all created.
So when someone who knows themselvesthat they really need to take a break and
(15:08):
get some support, they know where to go.
We're there, whether they call us andtalk to... Some of our calls lasted
up to 45 minutes, sometimes an hour.
That's real support in real time.
And that's gone now.
Yeah.
When you talk about the fundingtrimming, you know, and everybody always
(15:28):
says, oh, I'm all for saving money.
Okay, all right.
But there needs to be some thought, justnot this cross the slash and burn, you
know, you don't burn the whole field downand you have data to support your stuff.
So it's the old, throw the babyout with the bath water thing.
We don't even, it seems like they'renot even aware of what's being cut.
(15:49):
As I mentioned, our understanding isthat the word, you know, that this, this
money was in response to the pandemic.
And so our current administrationreally is just slashing.
And anything that does not alignwith the current values or ideals
(16:10):
that's how they're making decisions.
And so, as I said.
People are still recovering and sohaving some place to call to decrease
anxiety and depression symptoms so thatthey can still get up and go to work
or still have healthy relationships,stay out of the hospital, not
have contact with law enforcement.
Makes perfect preventativesense to me, but apparently
(16:33):
everyone doesn't agree with that.
Yeah, I guess not.
(laughs) Are you now I know you have,I know, I know you have to walk a line
here because it's not until September yousaid, but are you hopeful that the state
of Wisconsin can fill the funding gap?
And for those of you listening inother states, we, the reason I'm
asking this is we have a, a Democraticgovernor, like some states and a
(16:57):
heavily Republican legislature whodon't always play nice in the sandbox.
They don't.
But I think our governor's effortsto increase dollars for mental
health and children's mental healthand have it well received speaks to
the overarching support for mentalhealth and wellness in our state.
(17:18):
I cannot say what will happen in Junewhen it's time to pass the budget.
But I am very hopeful and truthfully themoney that's earmarked is not guaranteed
to Mental Health America Wisconsin, butit is guaranteed to the Uplift program.
Right.
So I, you know, I wannamake that distinction.
(17:38):
So we would have to re-apply, butit's about the program, the service.
And we don't want that togo away for wisconsinites.
Do you know about hearings?
Have you been asked to testify,have people reached out to you?
No, interestingly not.
So there is a hearing from myunderstanding that was in the notice
that I received, tomorrow, April 16th.
(17:59):
That will determine the outcomeof the temporary restraining order
that was issued on April 4th.
I'm very interested, but no onehas asked for me to testify.
I would've happily hada few things to say.
Well I'm sure you're reaching out tothose people who will be making those
decisions just to let them know, you knowone way or another, here's how many people
(18:22):
have used it and here's what it saves.
Can you talk just for a minute,we'll get off of this for a second.
What other services does MentalHealth America Wisconsin provide?
Yeah, thank you for asking that.
Which has been part ofmy messaging, right?
So Uplift is going away, butwe want people to know that MHA
Wisconsin is still a resource.
So one of our largest initiativesthat most people are aware
(18:45):
of is our suicide prevention.
We are, I like to say we're smallbut mighty, but we are the leading
voice in suicide prevention.
And so we have a contract with DHSthat helps us to provide oversight
and technical assistance and training.
So we support more than 50 ofthe 72 counties in implementing
(19:08):
suicide prevention initiatives.
And then hence there's trainingand technical support to ensure
that people in communities aregetting the support that they need.
So suicide prevention.
We also, we have a annualsuicide prevention conference.
Again, bringing communities together.
(19:29):
We also provide outpatientclinical services.
So our outpatient clinic islocated in Milwaukee, but we're
able to serve the entire state ofWisconsin via telehealth if needed.
Just understanding that some ruralcommunities have very limited access.
And so we also are providingschool-based mental health in
(19:50):
five of Milwaukee public schools.
And we have a peer run veteran respitewhere this is a, I mentioned a respite
earlier, but not ours specifically.
So respites are for folks.
Again, wanting to avoid utilizationof crisis services and to avoid
a crisis in their own life.
(20:10):
But more importantly the respite is runby veterans who they themselves identify
as peers with lived experience with mentalillness and or substance use disorder.
So we have a lovely facilityin, it's a house, I shouldn't
say facility, in Pewaukee whereveterans can literally take respite.
(20:31):
It's called R&R House.
So any vets would get that reference.
Well, that's where I'msitting right now, so yeah.
Not in the facility, but...
No, no, not in the house [inaudible]
That's my hometown.
So how interesting.
And I didn't know.
So there you go.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We'll have to arrange a tour for you.
Yeah, that would be great.
(20:51):
And lastly, people I would imagine candonate or help or support whether it's a
phone call to their legislator or in someway, what would be helpful for people who,
'cause we have a lot of, Martina, we havea lot of therapists who listen to this.
A lot of people who have beenthrough stuff and like to reach
out and help when they can.
(21:12):
Yeah.
And I appreciate you asking that.
So yes, first of all, our websiteMHA Wisconsin all spelled out
.org is a great place to donate.
We are still runningcampaigns for the warmline.
Save the Warmline.
We actually have a fundraiser happeningon May 10th in the Fox Cities.
It's called Mocktail Bash.
(21:33):
Again, that is solely focusedon supporting the warmline.
Also please contact your legislators.
I think we don't emphasize how impactfulthat can be when they hear from their
constituents about a service thatis going away or that has an impact
whether personally for yourself, aloved one, or just your community?
(21:55):
So I encourage peopleto definitely reach out.
We have been really trying tospread the word in that capacity.
You know, Senator Baldwin is a staunchadvocate and supporter for mental health.
So yep, it still doesn't hurtto reach out to her office.
But Ron Johnson's office as well.
Gwen Moore is also an amazing supporter.
(22:15):
And then, you know, I just encourageyou to, when you're sharing
messaging, to remind people thatthese cuts are impacting real people.
Yes.
Who have real lives and real needs.
And so I think that sometimes getsforgotten when we're talking about you
(22:35):
know federal campaigns and federal cutsand a lot of bureaucratic verbiage.
I think people get lost and that we forgetthat this is happening to real people
in real time and that they need theseservices so that they can maintain their
independence in their own communities.
So I hope that people really will reachout to whomever and just share that this
(22:59):
is something that they think is of value.
Save's money, saves lives,saves time, saves souls.
I like that.
Yeah.
Martina thanks so much for I,this has to be a difficult time.
It's always difficult whenyou have no lead up to making
decisions that are this big.
As you know, Martina listed it.
(23:20):
But attached to podcasts, thereare links to Mental Health America
Wisconsin attached to the podcast blurb.
Thanks for being with us today, andthanks for your work and your dedication.
It's greatly appreciated.
For all of you listening,listen, anytime you're able.
Until then, stay safe, stay informed,and please let your voice be heard.
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