988 Crisis Line Looks to Build on 1st Year of Successes
The rollout of 988, featuring the easy-to-remember version of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, happened a year ago (July 2022) – following years of work to amass and synchronize the human and technical resources needed to provide a better response to people in crisis. Organizers are celebrating their successes, and looking forward to even more improvements in New Hampshire.
Two expert organizations are working collaboratively to field calls: Headrest, a nonprofit organization specializing in assisting those affected by SUD (Substance Use Disorder) and Carelon Behavioral Health, an organization that brings expertise in training and provides experienced staffing support for manning crisis lines here in the Granite State.
Crisis line services
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) posted a celebratory memo on achievements at the one-year anniversary of 988:
5 million calls, chats and texts received in the first year, up 35% from the prior 10-digit line;
Faster responses: the average speed to answer decreased from 2 minutes and 39 seconds to 41 seconds.
Of the nearly 5 million contacts, about 665,000 were texts, an increase of 1,135% increase from the year before;
An option specifically for Veterans (Option 1 on the initial 988 greeting) received more than 1 million of the 5 million total contacts.
The option for texting, which was added to the original crisis lifeline in 2020, was a major enhancement, federal officials said. Before July 2022, in an average month, about 40% of texts on the old line went unanswered, and it took an average of 15 to 30 minutes for someone to respond. Average wait-times for texts dropped last year to under one minute, according to Tradeoffs, a health policy news site.
"If we do not have robust infrastructure that connects you locally for chat and text, we're not keeping up with the times, and we are not reaching some of the key target populations," Monica Johnson, the director of SAMHSA’s 988 and Behavioral Health Crises Coordinating Office, told Tradeoffs.
One of those key target populations is LGBTQ youth, who are at a higher risk for suicide than other demographic groups. According to an ABC News report, an LGBTQ-specific pilot program was launched in September. Although users had already been able to dial 3 after calling to reach a crisis counselor trained to support LGBTQ youth and young adults, chat and text services were expanded to 24 hours/7 days a week. ABC News reported that from the beginning of the program in September through Feb. 26, about 11% of chats and texts coming through the lifeline have been for the LGBTQ line, along with 6% of calls.
The NH Suicide Prevention Council reported that since the new crisis helpline was launched, more than 42,000 contacts have been made from the state. Among the young adults contacting via the text line, almost half identify as LGBTQ, according to averages of callers spanning from 2018 to 2022, as reported in minutes of the NHSPC’s July 2023 meeting.
The National Association for Mental Health (NAMI), nationally and in New Hampshire, is calling for more than just a number to call or text. A NAMI policy statement calls for the creation of “a crisis system that provides people with someone to talk to, someone to respond, and a safe place to go. It will take federal, state and local action to implement the national best practices for crisis care in every community to ensure everyone in crisis gets the help they need, when they need it.”
New Hampshire is one of more than two dozen states that have enhanced their mental health response by adding mobile crisis teams to provide an in-person response to crises.
Another challenge the 988 national crisis line faces is lack of awareness. Despite the growth in usage since its rollout last year, only 13% of Americans were aware of 988 or its purpose, according to a 2023 survey by the Pew Charitable Trust.