You no doubt have heard about the recent rollout (on Saturday July 16th) of the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The new 988 number will build on the older National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 988 will build on an existing network of over 200 crisis centers nationwide that are manned by counselors who answer calls from people, or their family or friends, who need help with a mental health, behavioral, or substance use crisis.
The idea of 988 is to have an easy to remember phone number,
like 911, that someone can call if they or a friend or relative are in a mental
health, behavioral, or substance use crisis. While 988 will get more emphasis
in the future, the old National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 10-digit phone
number (1-800-273-8255) still works. The line works 24/7 and you not only can
call you can also text 988 or chat with a 988 counselor at https://988lifeline.org/chat/.
Phone calls can be conducted in English, Spanish or other languages. Texts and
chat are currently only available in English.
When contacted, a 988 trained crisis counselor will listen
to develop an understanding of the situation and can provide support and point
the caller to resources that can help in the long term. The Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) points out that several studies
show that for the majority of callers calling a hotline helps the callers feel
less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful. If an
immediate intervention is needed (fewer than 2% of calls), the counselor can summon
resources to the caller’s location.
With the announcement of the launch of 988, there have
been concerns expressed in the press that the mental health infrastructure is
not robust enough to handle a large call load to the national number. Similar
to 911, the actual day to day operations of 988 are handled by state and local
agencies. The federal government has seeded over $280 million to launch the
hotline. But local and state governments also need to contribute money for the daily
operations of the hotline and the local mental health resources.
Volunteers of America (VOA) will oversee calls in
Snohomish County. Crisis Connections oversees calls in King County.
While the State of Washington has passed legislation
to fund and develop an integrated crisis system, other states, such as Idaho,
have not. The development of the 988 system is expected to be uneven throughout
the United States. Observers point out that it took 911 several decades to develop
into the robust system that it is today.
988 is an attempt to create a more coordinated,
comprehensive system to help individuals with mental/behavioral health crises
or concerns, and with substance abuse issues much like 911 summons aid for
crime, fires, and medical emergencies. Continued funding will be needed to
build this mental health system to truly help those with mental health or
substance abuse concerns.
Volunteers of America:
https://www.voaww.org/behavioralhealth
Crisis Connections:
https://www.crisisconnections.org/
SAMHSA:
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
Snohomish County Human Services:
https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/3124/Resources
Seattle Times:
Associated Press:
https://apnews.com/article/mental-health-hotline-988-ac50f02b74b8b89be5592be3f3605ff5
NPR:
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/9-8-8-americas-new-mental-health-hotline
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