RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) -- A statewide information service is bringing its resources to support Wisconsin's new Addiction Recovery Helpline.
The service is 2-1-1 Wisconsin which provides information and support for a variety of complex issues.
Mai Ger Moua is the 2-1-1 coordinator for the Marathon County United Way. She told WXPR in Rhinelander the 2-1-1 network picked up a state grant to serve as the addiction recovery helpline, saying it is a way statewide to address the opioid crisis. "Provide information about and referrals to local and statewide resources that can support people in their recovery process. Whether it's related to substance use addictions. If they are a family member that's being impacted by a friend or another family that has been using drugs and they need support for themselves."
Contact centers for 2-1-1 are located in seven Wisconsin cities, including Wausau where Mai Ger Moua is a leader. The 2-1-1 service has operators who help people get referred to the help they need. "They can also text 898211 with their zip code. They can also go online at addictionhelpwi.org and chat with a specialist online or do a search on a public database."
She says the growth of substance abuse in the state and the rise in deaths prompted the new feature. She says 2-1-1 has been handling these types of calls for a long time and they have specialists trained in handling these types of issues.
In 2017, 916 people died from opioid overdoses, more than the number of deaths in Wisconsin from car crashes. More information is available at addiction help wi.org
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