UpliftWI going strong after just one year in existence

In its first year, UpliftWI, Wisconsin’s phone service, staffed by people who offer hope and knowledge gained from their experiences, living with mental health and substance use concerns, answered 16,508 calls for support. UpliftWI is operated by Mental Health America of Wisconsin, under a grant from the Department of Health Services (DHS).

“UpliftWI’s inaugural year, has shown it’s a critical resource for people experiencing mental health and substance use challenges,” said DHS secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson. “Calling UpliftWI is like talking with a friend. The operators understand the stress of these difficult situations and can help navigate them, based on their lived experiences.”

UpliftWI is known as a warmline, a non-emergency program, designed to diffuse difficult situations before they become a crisis, through conversations and connections between people with similar life experiences. Staff are available daily, from noon to 12 a.m., by calling 534202-5438. They have access to interpreters to support calls, from people who do not speak English.

The staff of UpliftWI are certified peer specialists. They listen to the caller’s needs, help them problem solve and provide information on community resources, if requested. The support offered by UpliftWI is free of charge.

UpliftWI is an anonymous and confidential service. Callers are not required to provide their name, address or other identifying information. The conversation stays between the caller and staff person, unless the caller requests support from others.

The type of support provided by UpliftWI is also available through drop-in visits to a peer recovery center and scheduled overnight stays, at a peer-run respite.