Peers Helping Peers on a New Warm Line
by Rachel Hays
"Good evening, you've reached the Metro Boston Peer Warm Line. This isRachel. How are you?" "I'm hungry," a female voice responds. I considerwhat she means, how to respond. Is "hungry" a metaphorical description ofan emotional state of yearning or unfulfillment? Or, if the hunger isphysical, could could she be out of money or food stamps, unable toafford food and in need of a referral to a food pantry? Or, could she bestruggling with compulsive overeating, seeking food as an addict seeksdrugs? Working as an operator at the Warm Line has taught me not topresuppose an awareness of a caller's meaning, but rather to retain acertain humility as I seek to enter into a caller's personal frame ofreference, gaining familiarity with the individual's understanding ofhis or her own cognitive and emotional terrain as I learn and use thelanguage of individual human experience.
The Metro Boston Recovery Learning Community's Warm Line opened in themiddle of January and answers calls Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdaysfrom 4 pm to 8 pm at the nationally-accessible toll-free number1-877-733-7563 (which can be remembered as 1-877-PEER-LNE). The WarmLine, like the Metro Boston Recovery Learning Community (MBRLC) itself,is staffed entirely by people who are ourselves in recovery frompsychiatric conditions and who have been trained to attentively andempathically listen, offering compassion and validation as we assistcallers in connecting with their own internal resources, strengths, anddirection.
A fundamental principle of Warm Lines, like peer support in general, isa belief that within each of us is a unique value, an emergent strengthand wisdom. And so, when callers present problems, we encourage andfacilitate their own exploration of the associated issues and concerns,refraining from guiding them with direct advice, but rather engaging as
fellow travelers.
Most calls that I have answered are from people seeking a fellow
traveler, a compassionate witness to the struggles and joys of their
days. We are peers, together engaged in the process of recovery that isboth individual and collective, sharing our experiences with a mutualitythat challenges and deconstructs the hierarchical role distinctions ofthe traditional mental health system in which the providers ofassistance are separated from the recipients of assistance.
As peer support workers, we do not, however, indiscriminately share ourown experiences of struggle and strength, but rather seek to
purposefully use our personal recovery stories to facilitate engagementand foster connection, always aware that despite apparent similarities,we cannot assume or presuppose unwarranted understanding.
A certain humility is necessary to suspend one's assumptions and seek totruly understand the world from another person's vantage point. Acertain faith is necessary to believe that within all of us resides thewisdom we need to make decisions and address problems. Through all ofthe vicissitudes of recovery, the Warm Line affirms and supports suchindividual understanding and wisdom.
While the Warm Line is operated by the DMH-funded Metro Boston RecoveryLearning Community calls from anywhere in Massachusetts are welcomed.
For more information on the Metro Boston Recovery Learning Community pleasevisit www.metrobostonrlc.org Rachel can be reached at (617) 305-9976.