Hope4Iowa Crisis Hotline

Suzanne Watson, CEO, Southwest Iowa Region, Mental Health & Disability Services

The HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line is available 24/7 at 844-673-4469

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA, UNITED STATES, May 3, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Finding practical resources and knowing how to get help remains a challenge for many. People of all ages continue to seek ways to cope with loneliness stemming from the pandemic and support their emotional wellbeing when struggling with isolation. The Southwest Iowa Mental Health & Disability Services Region (SWIA MHDS) encourages people to take steps to drive culture from mental health awareness to mental health action.

“Mental health is essential to our overall wellbeing,” said Andria Eddings, hotline supervisor at the HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line. Mental illnesses are common and treatable. Eddings wants everyone to know that resources like the HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line are available and can connect individuals in crisis to trained counselors who can guide the caller to various resources. The helpline is available 24/7. “Seeking help when efforts to improve your mental health aren’t working is a sign of strength, not weakness,” said Eddings.

The designation of May as Mental Health Awareness Month is important to Iowa because one in five adults, or roughly 600,000 Iowans, live with some form of mental illness. In addition, about 37,000 people in Iowa grapple with serious mental illness daily. It’s time to provide support, educate our peers, and end the stigma of living with a mental illness.

“It is important to accept the situations in life that we cannot change and actively work to process the mental struggles associated with big changes. For example, managing anger and frustration, recognizing when trauma may be affecting your mental health, challenging negative thinking patterns, and making time to take care of yourself,” said Suzanne Watson, CEO of the Southwest Iowa MHDS Region. Each year the SWIA MHDS fights the stigma, supports, educates the public, and advocates for policies to help those with mental illness and their families.

By promoting Mental Health Awareness Month, SWIA MHDS hopes to end the stigma of mental illness through its mission to provide a responsive and welcoming system of support for overall mental wellness.

These efforts include the HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line, which connects individuals in crisis to trained counselors who can guide the caller to various resources. The helpline is available 24/7.

About the HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line
Hope4Iowa Crisis Call Line has been serving residents in Southwest Iowa since June of 2015. As of March 2022, The Hope4 Iowa Crisis Call Line has taken 3,076 documented inbound calls. Thirty-five percent of those calls were related to a mental health concern, and thirty-one percent of all callers reported having had current or recent thoughts of suicide. Untreated mental illness is the number one cause of suicide. Seventy-five percent of callers had a lethality risk screen conducted with a crisis counselor to identify their level of risk, and ninety-eight percent of those calls resulted in a safety agreement with the caller. Thirty percent of callers wanted ongoing assistance and were given referrals to mental health services.

During follow-up calls, the hotline often receives gratitude expressed from callers such as
“I felt so much better after talking with the counselor. She was very kind and really helped me figure things out. Please thank her for me.”

“The counselor I spoke to was very helpful in helping me get some perspective and getting me calmed down.”

“I have talked with multiple people on this line, and they always make an impression on me on how kind they are. I never feel like I am being rushed off the phone or that my stuff isn’t important.”

“I’m so grateful the counselor answered the phone and made me feel like my feelings matter.”

The HOPE4IOWA Crisis Call Line was established to improve mental wellness, hope, and outcomes for residents of southwest Iowa in times of crisis. Residents can call the helpline phone number at 844-673-4469.

About Southwest Iowa Mental Health & Disability Services Region
Southwest Iowa MHDS Region
227 S. 6th St., Suite 128
Council Bluffs, IA 51501
Phone: 712-328-5645

The SWIA MHDS serves a nine-county area in the rolling hills of Southwest Iowa, including Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties. Their goal is to increase health, hope, and successful outcomes for adults in the region who may have mental, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, including those with recurring substance abuse and other complex human service issues.

More information is available at SWIAMHDS.com.

Kathleen Broniecki, APR
Envoy, Inc.
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