Section 441.24.35. Warm line.

A peer-operated warm line is a service individuals can access to talk with someone with lived experience with mental, behavioral health and trauma issues. The line provides a resource for individuals experiencing emotional distress.

        24.35(1) Performance benchmark. A warm line provides nonjudgmental listening, nondirective assistance, information, referral, and triage when appropriate.

         24.35(2) Performance indicators.

            a.               Policies are in place regarding how the warm line is answered live, placing callers on hold and when appropriate to use a queue system.

            b.               Policies and procedures are in place for standard collection of demographics, the presented reason for calling and outcome of call.

            c.               Policies and procedures are in place for crisis screening and when to triage a caller to a higher level of service.

            d.               Data collection includes call answer times, duration of calls, and number of calls dropped, lost or terminated.

            e.               Policies and procedures describe the staffing pattern and schedule.

            f.                Warm-line staff can receive calls remotely through telephones or computers or within an organization.

            g.               Staff qualifications and training for peer support specialists and family support peer specialists are required.

            h.               Twenty-four-hour access to a mental health professional is required.

[ARC 1660C, IAB 10/15/14, effective 12/1/14]