An essential resource for those struggling with mental health disappears on Saturday, but the United Way of Door County and the Door County Public Health Department are ensuring you have the help you need to get by. Mental Health America of Wisconsin announced earlier this week that it was shutting down its statewide Uplift Wisconsin Warmline on April 5th due to recent federal budget cuts from the U.S. Human Services Department. The peer-run mental health line supported more than 24,000 people suffering from emotional distress in 2024 by linking callers with Certified Peer Specialists who could share their experiences. MHA Wisconsin credited the Uplift Wisconsin Warmline with providing services to marginalized communities who often face barriers to getting the care they need.

The United Way of Door County offers mental health resources through its STRIDE Creative page, which provides programming for kids and adults like Mighty Teens and The Mindfulness Experiment. United Way of Door County Executive Director Amy Kohnle says it is essential for organizations like theirs to be nimble when resources like Uplift Wisconsin disappear.

The Door County Public Health Department recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its CredibleMind platform, which is a free service that aggregates videos, podcasts, apps, online programs, books, articles, and local resources to give people a better understanding of their mental health in one place. One in five people in the United States suffers from some mental health illness, but the ratio of people who can assist is daunting. The state is ranked 34th in the nation when it comes to the ratio of residents to mental health professionals (420:1). It is even worse in Door County, where there is one mental health professional for every 740 residents.