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U.S. NEWS Saturday 16 July 2022

New 988 hotline is the 911 for mental health emergencies

By LINDSEY TANNER only to be told by a doc-
AP Medical Writer tor to come back if the boy
Quick help for suicidal hurt himself.
thoughts and other men- Thatcher has battled de-
tal health emergencies will pression and at 17, he
soon be as easy as 9-8-8. also considered suicide.
The United States' first na- He knew that despondent
tionwide three-digit mental people in crisis may lack
health crisis hotline goes live the wherewithal to seek
on Saturday. It's designed out help or to remember
to be as easy to remember the 10-digit national suicide
and use as 911, but instead lifeline number.
of a dispatcher sending Thatcher found that many
police, firefighters or para- of Utah's in-state crisis lines
medics, 988 will connect went straight to police dis-
callers with trained mental patchers or voicemail. He
health counselors. wondered why there was
The federal government no 911 service for mental
has provided over $280 mil- health, and the idea got
lion to help states create national attention after he
systems that will do much mentioned it to longtime
more, including mobile Sen. Orrin Hatch.
mental health crisis teams In 2020, Congress passed
that can be sent to peo- the bill designating the
ple's homes and emergen- 3-digit crisis number and
cy mental health centers, then-President Donald
similar to urgent care clinics Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, speaks during a press Trump signed it into law.
that treat physical aches conference on the kickoff of 988, a new national mental health hotline, Friday, July 15, 2022, in Thatcher's mother was a
and pains. Philadelphia. nurse and knew where to
"This is one of the most ex- Associated Press get him help. He says 988
citing things that has hap- has the potential to make it
pened" in mental health lished last month found that — about 2.4 million in 2020. The 988 system "is a real op- that easy for others.
care, said Dr. Brian Hep- fewer than half of state or Calls to the old lifeline, portunity to do things right," "If you get help, you live.
burn, a psychiatrist who regional public health offi- 1-800-273-8255, will still go said Hannah Wesolowski of It really is that simple,''
heads the National As- cials were confident about through even with 988 in the National Alliance on Thatcher said.q
sociation of State Mental being ready for 988, which place. Mental Illness.
when 988 kicks off, it will not Nearly 60% said call-center saved,'' said Health and National Academy of State ARUBA
Health Program Directors.
is expected to generate an "If we can get 988 to work Sustained funding will be
cautions
Hepburn
like 911 … lives will be needed. According to the
that influx of calls.
be like "the flick of a switch. staffers had specialized sui- Human Services Secretary Health Policy, four states CLEAN
It's going to take a number cide prevention training; Xavier Becerra. have enacted laws to im-
of years in order for us to be half said they had mobile Dispatching paramed- pose telecommunications
able to reach everybody crisis response teams avail- ics for heart attacks and fees to support 988 and
across the country." able 24/7 with licensed police for crimes makes many others are working
Some states already have counselors; and fewer than sense — but not for psychi- on the issue.
comprehensive mental one-third had urgent men- atric emergencies, men- A desperate call to a
health crisis systems, but tal-health care units. tal health advocates say. Utah state senator in 2013
others have a long way to The 988 system will build on Calls to 911 for those crises helped spark the idea of
go. And widespread short- the National Suicide Pre- often lead to violent law a three-digit mental health
ages of mental health spe- vention Lifeline, an existing enforcement encounters crisis line.
cialists are expected to network of over 200 crisis and trips to jail or crowded Sen. Daniel Thatcher says a IS MORE
slow their ability to expand centers nationwide staffed emergency rooms where good friend sought his help
services. by counselors who answer suicidal people can wait after taking his suicidal son DUSHI
A RAND Corp. survey pub- millions of calls each year days for treatment. to an emergency room,