Thursday, January 6, 2011

Warmline Project Report Posted


Warmline Inc. Services: Valuable On-the-Phone Peer Support for People with Mental Illnesses


Warmline Inc. (Warmline) is a peer-to-peer telephone support line for people with mental illness, which is run and staffed by people who have mental illnesses themselves. Warmline has recently celebrated ten years of providing service to the community. With plenty of anecdotal information about the benefits of their efforts in hand, they received a generous grant from the Faye McBeath Foundation which allowed them to contract with us, the Planning Council for Health and Human Services, to formally document and evaluate their services. The process was an effective collaboration among our evaluation team, Warmline staff, and an advisory committee of Warmline volunteers and board members.


To explore Warmline’s services and value to the community, data were collected from call logs, caller interviews, and interviews with mental health system representatives. The data show that Warmline is a valuable resource in the community for people who seek support anonymously during hours when other services are often not available. It is essential that Warmline is staffed by peers, who reportedly provide unique, non-judgmental empathy and support. To enhance Warmline’s services and reach, the report recommended that the hours of operation and/or the number of active phone lines be increased. The data from this report are intended to provide Warmline with documentation of their efforts, rich information, and recommendations to consider as they move forward.


Interested in finding out more about this innovative service? Our recently released report is available for you here!


Partnership with the Southeast WI Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Have You Had Your Mammogram?

Most women know they should have a clinical breast exam at least every three years starting at age 20 and a yearly mammogram starting at age 40. However, for a variety of reasons, many women do not get this important breast cancer screening. This is important as screening is the key to early detection and diagnosing cancer early when it is most treatable.

In order to discover why women aren’t getting screened and how they can improve screening rates and reduce breast cancer mortality in our community, the Southeast Wisconsin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is partnering with the Planning Council. In December, the Planning Council conducted a series of key informant interviews with health care providers, educators and community stakeholders in Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha Counties to better understand the breast health care landscape and the barriers women are facing.

African American women in particular have lower rates of breast cancer screening than do white women and higher rates of mortality. To find out what is keeping some local African American women from getting mammograms, in early January, the Planning Council conducted two focus groups with African American women over the age of 40. The information gathered in these focus groups will help Komen Southeast Wisconsin identify gaps and barriers in breast cancer screening in the area. It will also allow the agency to better target its grantmaking, education and advocacy work in upcoming years.

The Southeast Wisconsin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded in 1999 by a group of dedicated breast cancer survivors, breast health professionals, and other women of vision. In addition to funding breast cancer research, the Affiliate has awarded over $4 million dollars to community organizations and local hospitals to empower medically underserved women in southeastern Wisconsin through education, screening and treatment programs.

To find out more about the Southeast Wisconsin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and their services, please go to their website: http://www.komensoutheastwi.org/

Appreciative Inquiry Model: A Positive Approach to Change

Organizations work best when:
 The "joint is jumping!" -vibrant and fun
 You sense the spirit of the organization is vital and healthy
 People feel pride in their work
 Everyone builds on each other's successes
 There is an infectious, positive can do attitude
 The glow of success is shared
 Positive energy is appreciated and celebrated so it deepens and lasts


In other words, organizations function less desirably missing one or more elements above. The organizational culture has great impact on productivity, employee satisfaction, workplace morale and other aspects. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) amplifies the pockets of excellence to create positive organizational culture.

Just a short list of the many organizations that have benefitted from the AI process includes GTE, Avon, the United Nations, the city of Chicago, multiple school districts and the U.S. Navy.

The differences between AI and the traditional problem solving process are outlined below:


Instead of starting out by identifying root causes of a certain problem, AI encourages the discovery and appreciation of strengths and unique attributes. Appreciating the best of what is lays the ground for envisioning intriguing possibilities in the future, followed by co-determining realistic objectives and practices. The ultimate purpose is to put the propositions into sustained action that will allow positive organizational change to occur. The following diagram depicts key steps in conducting AI.



4D Model


Five processes common to all AI models
1. Choose the positive as the focus of the inquiry
2. Inquire into stories of life-giving forces
3. Locate themes that appear in the stories and select topics for further inquiry
4. Create shared images of the future
5. Find innovative ways to create the future
Five Factors for Success
1. A clearly defined and important purpose
2. A relentless focus on the positive
3. A willingness to commit the time and resources needed to do what is necessary
4. Inclusiveness: all key stakeholders should be involved
5. Trust in, and commitment to the process


To learn more and read about AI in action internationally, check out The AI Commons at http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/