Editor’s Note: If you are struggling with mental health issues, the North Carolina Medical Society has a Physician Support Line. Click here for help.
After Two Years, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is Answering Millions of Calls, Chats, and Texts
(Read to bottom for NCDHHS and NCMS efforts)
(CNN) — Two years after the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched, the service has answered over 10 million texts, calls and chats, according to new data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The lifeline, formerly a 10-digit number, transitioned to three digits in July 2022 as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s strategy to “address our national mental health crisis.”
Since 2022, the administration has invested over $1.5 billion in the effort, including expanding access to services for Spanish speakers, LGBTQI+ youth and young adults, and people who are deaf or hard of hearing, according to HHS.
Those in crisis can reach the lifeline through a phone call, text, web chat and video chat. This year, text messages to 988 have increased 51% and calls 34% from the year before, a sign of the effects of expanded services, according to senior administration officials.
Last year, text messages through the lifeline increased 1,135%, chats answered increased 141% and calls answered increased 46%, a report from the department showed.
The lifeline has made 110,000 contacts in Spanish and 475,000 with LGBTQI+ youth and young adults this year, the new report says. About 20,000 videophone contacts in American Sign Language were made, and 1.2 million calls were answered by the Veterans Crisis Line through 988’s Press 1 option.
“988 is available to everyone,” emphasized Andrea Palm, deputy secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. “Having someone on the other end of the line to listen and provide support makes a difference. It really does save lives, and that’s what this is all about.”
This year, HHS expects to roll out georouting technology to route 988 callers and texters based on their physical location versus their area code, the agency says. The move, which would follow an April proposal from the Federal Communications Commission, is expected to improve cell phone users’ connectivity to local services and maintain additional privacy.
The agency also pointed to the bolstering of a national backup system. Funneling federal funding to this system will help ensure that all contacts to 988 are able to be answered, regardless of a state’s local capacity.
A 911 for mental health crises
In 2022, the year 988 debuted, suicide deaths reached a record high in the US, according to provisional data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2021, the US surgeon general called for the implementation of a national prevention strategy in response to suicide rates that have been rising for decades.
988, like 911, is easy to remember. The switch to the three-digit lifeline saw an over 45% increase in overall contact volume in just the first month, according to HHS.
NCDHHS Celebrates Two Years of 9-8-8 Giving North Carolinians Someone to Contact for Crisis Support
The NC Department of Health and Human Services is celebrating the second anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In the past two years, 988 crisis counselors in North Carolina have responded to nearly 190,000 calls, texts and chats, providing critical access to mental health and substance use crisis support. In its second year of service, the number of North Carolinians contacting 988 each month has nearly doubled.
On Monday, NCDHHS leaders visited the 988 Call Center in Greenville, NC, to show their appreciation for the dedicated crisis counselors on the other end of the line who provide this important service.
“Currently, more than 8,000 North Carolinians every month are reaching out to 988 because they know help is available when they need it,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “I’m so grateful to the behavioral health counselors who support individuals in a moment of crisis and connect thousands to care.”
“The success of 988 is a testament to the fact that, so often, people just need someone to talk to who will support them in their most vulnerable moments,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services. “For many of the thousands of people calling, 988 is a first step to accessing the services and supports they need for long-term healing and recovery.”
In the past year, 988 Lifeline services have expanded to include chat and text options in Spanish and video chat capabilities for people with disabilities, furthering its commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. Veterans and their families, as well as Spanish-speaking callers, who reach out to 988 have the option to connect with specialized crisis services that provide culturally competent support. LGBTQ+ youth and young adults who contact 988 can access dedicated help through The Trevor Project Line, which offers support tailored to their community.
The 988 Performance Dashboard enables the department to make data-informed decisions to continue to improve access to services.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is an important component of NCDHHS’ ongoing work to ensure every North Carolinian has someone to contact, someone to respond and a safe place for help when experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Of the $835 million investment in behavioral health in the 2023 state budget, NCDHHS has committed more than $130 million to transforming North Carolina’s behavioral health crisis response services, which includes 988 – shifting the system from a state of crisis to a state of care.
NCMS has ways to help physicians
The NCMS continues it’s work to improve your practice environment. Recently, The North Carolina Clinician and Physician Retention and Well-being (NCCPRW) Consortium announced a new statewide initiative with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, the only non-profit organization exclusively focused on health worker mental health and well-being.
ALL IN: Caring for North Carolina’s Caregivers seeks to support the state’s hospitals and health systems in redesigning their workplace environments to help team members feel valued and supported while creating the best environments to deliver safe, quality patient care.
You can learn more about this initiative at the 2024 NCMS LEAD Conference. Register now for more on this, AI, Prior Auth, CPOM, and many more issues impacting your day-to-day live. We will also have vendors from across the state with things to make your life easier.