Posted By Todd Boedeker,
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Updated: Tuesday, July 12, 2022
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An important new mental health resource goes live this month: a three-digit national hotline for all mental health crises, including suicide and substance abuse. Federal legislation passed in July 2020 requires all phone carriers to transfer “988” calls to the National Suicide Prevention hotline, which will connect the individual to a network of local mental health professionals ready to respond in every state. While available nationally, the federal legislation left funding for the local response network to each state, many of which have yet to do so. Fortunately for those of us in Missouri, Governor Parson and our legislature have funded the program, at least initially, and the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) has met the challenge of organizing our state's response. While intended to work like the national 911 hotline for emergencies needing police, fire, or medical care responders, there is one important distinction. The new 988 hotline is not directly linked to law enforcement; rather, it connects callers with crisis-trained mental health counselors and other appropriate resources. This practice is in keeping with the National Association of Mental Illness' campaign “Help Not Handcuffs,” so as to avoid unnecessarily escalating mental health crises and putting law enforcement officers into situations that that they may not be best equipped to handle. Under DMH’s guidance, six regional hotline centers have been designated, connected, and trained to be able to quickly support Missouri callers. Individuals can call, chat, or text 988. “The goal of 988 is to change the way our community responds to mental health crises,” said Debra Walker, spokeswoman for DMH. “It will serve as the first line of defense to engage individuals experiencing mental health or suicidal crisis. With a strong, well-funded crisis system in place, Missouri will have the ability to divert mental health crises away from costly, already burdened resources, including our criminal justice and health care resources.” DMH expects Missouri will see a reduction in ER visits, inpatient stays, arrests, and incarceration related to mental health and substance use disorders. According to the DMH website, the intervention may include assessment, stabilization, referral, and follow-up for individuals at high risk for suicide and/or poor mental health outcomes. If a higher level of care is needed, the crisis specialist will work with the caller and other supports to connect them to a mobile crisis response team in the community. You can learn more about Missouri’s 988 hotline here. Suicide is a leading cause of death and a critical public health problem in the United States. It was responsible for 46,000 deaths in 2020 alone. According to CDC statistics, an estimated 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide that year, 3.2 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicide. More positively, 90% of those that attempt suicide and survive go on with their lives and never die from suicide. While many factors contribute to suicide, it can be prevented, and everyone has a role to play. You can help by spreading the word about the new 988 hotline, knowing the warning signs of suicide, and supporting social changes which reduce the stigma associated with behavioral health conditions and build personal resilience and coping and problem-solving skills for individuals and communities. Warm regards, Louise Y. Probst BHC Executive Director
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