State House Passes Whiteford Bill Establishing Statewide Mental Health Hotline

marywhiteford34-3
marywhiteford34-3

Help could soon be just a phone call away for anyone in Michigan struggling with their mental health. A bill sponsored by state Representative Mary Whiteford of the South Haven area has easily passed the House this week by a 99-8 vote to create a permanent, statewide hotline.

“The key for this hotline is that so many times, people don’t know where to go,” explains Whiteford. “If they ask for help once and think there is nobody who can help them, they’ll never ask for help again.”

Whiteford says even as a nurse, she struggled to find help for a loved one who needed it, and that’s what prompted the bill. The state would spend $3 million to set up the hotline if the bill gets Senate approval and is signed by Governor Whitmer.