988 crisis lifeline marks first year

PHOTO | DAN MEYERS

The national 988 crisis lifeline, which provides free and confidential support to people in distress, marked its first anniversary in July.

The 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a year old.

The Lifeline, created by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources across the United States.

In North Carolina, about 5,000 people call the 988 number per month, according to the state health department. Since its launch last July, there has been a 31% increase in residents reaching out for support. Sixty percent are new callers and 40% are repeat callers needing additional support.

“988 has made it easier and faster for those in a mental health or substance use crisis to get the help they need,” Kody Kinsley, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. “It is a critical step forward in strengthening our crisis system throughout the state.”

Studies show that 988 is highly effective, with 90% of individuals who had thoughts of suicide reported improvement in how they are feeling by the end of their call.

Operational improvements have been made to the lifeline.

According to NCDHHS North Carolina’s average speed to answer the phone is 19 seconds, which is more than twice as fast as the national average of 41 seconds.  At the start of last year, the national average was two minutes, 39 seconds.

"We are encouraged by the significant increase in connections to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline," said Kelly Crosbie, director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, developmental disabilities, and substance use services. “We’re seeing 988 help more and more people in real time, which means more people are getting the care they need when they need it. That makes 988 a powerful tool for addressing our mental health and substance use crisis."

Every person who connects with 988 is offered support. The call center provides trained crisis counseling and connects callers to help in their local community based on each caller’s specific needs. Callers are connected in real-time to specialized, community-based crisis responders day or night if that level of care is needed.

Counselors provide care to veterans and their families, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults through the Trevor Project, and Spanish speakers. Text and chat services are reaching individuals of all ages, specifically young people aged 13-24.

A recent addition to the lifeline has been a Spanish text and chat services to better assist Spanish speaking communities.

NCDHHS aims to broaden health equity through 988 marketing across the state by tailoring programs to help communities of color, youth, older adults, rural communities, and people with disabilities.

The state health department is pursuing additional ways to improve 988. For instance, launching a supplemental service line that will allow callers to speak with someone with a lived experience.

This peer “warm line” will connect individuals to a certified peer support specialist — someone in recovery with a mental illness and/or substance use disorder. By incorporating peer support, the “warm line” promotes an anti-stigma approach to mental health and substance use, and it expands the evidence-based services that 988 offers.

Gov. Roy Cooper proposed a $1 billion Behavioral Health and Resilience plan to invest more in 988 and other community-based services such as:

Mobile crisis teams. Immediate, on-site support for people experiencing a mental health/or substance use crisis.

Facility-based crisis centers and drop-in centers. Community-based crisis centers for individuals experiencing a behavioral or substance use crisis.

Statewide transportation services. Transportation services to psychiatric facilities that do not involve law enforcement.    

                                                                      
If you or someone else is struggling or in a crisis, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.     

Aaliyah Bowden, who covers health at The Post, is a Report For America corps member.

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