OHIO, USA — It's been nearly one year since the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline first launched in Ohio. And its impact has already been apparent.
According to the state, its 988 Lifeline has received an average of 8,793 calls per month from July 2022-May 2023 after first launching on July 16, 2022. Additionally, the system set up for "Ohioans who are experiencing a mental health or addiction crisis, and their family members" has received an average of 2,014 texts and 2,007 chats in the same span.
“We are working to strengthen and expand Ohio’s crisis care system to help anyone who is in a mental health or addiction crisis – and their family members –quickly connect to help close to home,” DeWine said in a statement. “The 988 lifeline is a 24/7 resource for Ohioans, and it is saving lives.”
Building on the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the 988 Lifeline allows Ohioans with an easy-to-remember number to call, text or visit online (988lifeline.org/chat) that is available 24/7 when experiencing such problems. According to the state, 88 percent of calls were answered by trained specialists in-state from July 2022-May 2023, while 11 percent of calls were ended before being connected and one percent were transferred to a national backup call center. The state also notes that its average answer speed is 19 seconds, compared to 35 seconds nationally.
“988 is someone to call and someone to respond, making help more visible, accessible, and effective for Ohioans who are in a behavioral health crisis,” said OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss, who thanked the governor and members of Ohio’s Legislature for providing $46.5 million in funding in the recently passed state budget to sustain operations for the next two years. “We know from research that approximately 80% of behavioral health crises can be resolved through a phone conversation, which helps reduce pressures on law enforcement, local jails, and emergency departments.”
Altogether, the state says that more than 400 specialists -- both part-time and full-time -- have been trained to respond to 988 calls. Additionally, Ohio expanded the number of its Lifeline call centers from 12 to 19, giving all 88 Ohio counties access to coverage and support.
“Ohio’s call center staff are truly unsung heroes. They work around the clock to help Ohioans in crisis. We are grateful for their dedicated service and look forward to continuing to partner with them to strengthen and improve our response network,” said 988 Administrator Doug Jackson. “We knew this first year would provide us with a great deal of insights and learning opportunities that were important to document and use in evaluations as 988 grows and becomes a more widely known and used resource.”