California’s Mental Health Phone Lines Begin Layoffs, Brace For More

Faced with steep budget cuts, phone lines that provide free mental health support to tens of thousands of residents across California have begun layoffs and the elimination of crucial services, reports CalMatters’ Jocelyn Wiener.

These so-called “warm lines” assist people during non-emergencies, offering emotional support and mental health resources. Parents Anonymous’ helpline, which serves about 24,000 people a year and is endorsed by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, has already laid off staff. The organization requested $3 million a year from the state, but the budget deal Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers hammered out last week did not include funding.

Pomona resident Antonia Rios said she contacts the helpline as much as seven times a week. Rios is a mother of seven, and lives with anxiety, depression and other mental health afflictions. For Rios, “it breaks my heart they want to cut” the helpline.

• Rios: “The helpline was a safe haven for me. It saved my life on many occasions.”

In Orange County, the warm line for the National Alliance on Mental Illness fields 900 calls a day, according to its Chief Executive Amy Durham. The organization is now preparing to let go of 127 staffers, many of whom used the warm line themselves and later became peer counselors.

• Durham: “Now we’re going to wait until everyone’s in crisis. I can’t imagine it’s cost effective or humane.”

The nonprofit that oversees the California Peer Run Warm Line, which I reported about in June, requested $15 million a year in renewed funding. Because it received only $5 million this budget year, it will shut down its Spanish-speaking helpline that it also provides, writes Jocelyn.

CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.