ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A mental health helpline similar to the new national number 988 is available to Lehigh County residents.
The Warmline in Lehigh County is provided by Allentown-based Pinebrook Family Answers. The number is 610-820-8451.
Vicky Conte, Pinebrook’s director of community-based mental health programs, said Warmline is a service for Lehigh County residents to use before they reach crisis mode.
“People can call to speak to someone on the other end of one line,” Conte said. “If they are in crisis, then we refer them to crisis intervention.
“Generally, if they call us we can de-escalate through conversation, we can de-escalate people and if we determine that they're not in crisis, then we can continue to talk to them.”
- Warmline is a mental health line available to Lehigh County residents.
- Any adult can call for help with different mental health situations.
- The helpline is open 7 days a week from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- The number is 610-820-8451.
The line is open to adults from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and operators will take calls from anyone English-speaking. Conte said funding for the phone number comes from the county.
Conte said a lot of people call because they are feeling lonely.
“There are a lot of individuals with mental health concerns with disabilities, who are seniors, who are isolated, especially after the pandemic,” she said. “And once they become isolated, it becomes harder for them to go out and make friends and talk to people.”
Warmline is a way for those people to have someone to talk to or a centralized place for other information they may need.
Similarly, the 988 nationwide phone number, started this summer, puts callers in touch with mental health professionals and connects to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
