But in some states, questions remain about funding the transition, staffing call centers and preparing response teams.
The transition to 988 is “not optional,” according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services.
“Starting July 16 of this year, all 988 calls will be routed to the National Suicide Hotline, so no state legislation is necessary for that critical step to happen,” said Jodi Manz, director of the project. behavioral health, aging and disability. in the health policy group, she wrote in an email Tuesday. “State legislation is more about how to fund and organize this work within existing mental health systems, and imposing telecommunications fees may not be ideal or welcome in some states, so the conversation is likely to continue.” when that’s the case.”
As of May, at least 13 states (Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington) have enacted laws to fund and implement 988; lawmakers in many others remain in legislative sessions, so “it is likely to increase,” Manz said.
“Since states are in different places in terms of their current crisis systems, they may not need a major change requiring legislation, and/or they may be using federal dollars for initial investments,” Manz wrote.
“Back-end routing to the suicide hotline when someone dials 988, no matter where that person is, will occur with or without state legislative action,” he wrote, adding that states and the federal government recognize that ongoing infrastructure components needed to support the 988 “will take time to build,” similar to how the 911 was built over time.
So “many states are also taking the time to study how to do this,” Manz wrote.
‘States must transition to 988 as a universal number’
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has been in operation since 2005 and is funded by the HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Callers currently reach the National Critical Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling the 10-digit number: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).
In 2020, the five leaders of the US Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to end 988 as the three-digit number Americans can dial to connect to the existing lifeline network of trained counselors.
“We want you to know that if you’re experiencing severe stress and emotional trauma, if you’re not sure where to go, even if you’re not at the point of suicide, we want you to call. We want you to reach out. That’s the purpose of the 988 Lifeline.” which hopefully will go live in mid-July across the country,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in Washington state on Friday.
“People will no longer have to call a 10-digit phone number to try to get help. What 911 is to local emergencies, we hope 988 is to people under emotional and mental stress,” Becerra said. “And it’s important that we shoot well.”
“States must transition to 988 as a universal number for mental health crises, and Congress has provided support for states to do so by allowing them to implement state funding mechanisms and provide direct funding and technical assistance opportunities to states,” Manz wrote.
“Because this number is universal across the country, states must adjust their existing call center systems to align with 988,” Manz wrote. “The momentum is different in different states, although it’s important to note that states have been building crisis services on a continuum for years. Call centers represent the beginning of that continuum.”
The intersection of the opioid crisis and mental health
As the rollout draws closer, local health departments seem to welcome the three-digit number, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
“West Virginia is interesting from the start. They’ve been hit hard by the opioid crisis, which of course leads to mental health issues, but that may also be a precursor to the opioid epidemic itself,” Freeman . said. “So it makes sense for them to be one of the first to step up. I think we’ll see other states step up quickly as well.”
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 10 to 34, according to the American Psychiatric Association, and is described as a “serious problem” by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. of public health”. The intersection of the opioid epidemic and the nation’s mental health crisis has also become a grim and growing public health issue.
To reduce those numbers, the launch of 988 serves as “a first step toward a crisis care system transformed in the same way that emergency medical services have been expanded” in the United States, John Draper, executive director of National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and executive vice president of national networks for Vibrant Emotional Health, wrote in an email Monday.
“SAMHSA is focused first on strengthening and expanding the existing Lifeline network, providing life-saving service to everyone who calls, texts or chats on 988,” said Draper. “Longer term, SAMHSA recognizes that linking people in crisis with community providers, who can provide a full range of crisis care services, is essential to meeting behavioral health crisis needs across the country.”
Call centers seek more advisers
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is looking to hire more counselors at its call centers as it rolls out 988.
“This is a great time to be a crisis counselor,” Draper said Tuesday.
“Our centers are looking for people who are willing to step up and do this work, and our training programs are great at preparing people to do this important work. That’s why we’ve been working with both our states and our centers to prepare them.” for this big day for quite some time,” Draper said.
The call centers “seek empathic volunteers, employees and interns to serve as crisis counselors who answer phones, chat and text, as well as managers with advanced degrees,” the website says.
Staff hired as part of the expansion may be offered remote work options and do not necessarily have to be licensed mental health professionals. They may have bachelor’s degrees or previous experience as peer support workers, and some might consider apprenticeship opportunities, Dr. John Palmieri, acting director of 988 at the Department’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said Tuesday. US Health and Human Services
“This is not a situation where we’re just looking for licensed mental health professionals,” he said.
Palmieri and his colleagues have been “looking at some of those ways that we can increase project development, professional engagement, for people,” he said, adding that they’re also thinking about the importance of retaining current staff and decreasing burnout. because providing crisis care can be a “challenging job.”
Many crisis centers have operated with volunteers for many years and are able to turn volunteers into paid staff, Draper said.
“So there’s already a ready-to-get-paid workforce that actually works full time,” Draper said. “We can really start building career paths for people in crisis that we’ve never had before.”
.
