Starting on Saturday, people in Virginia with thoughts of suicide or other mental health struggles will be able to get instant assistance by calling or texting 988.
The 988 number will reach one of the more than 200 regional call centers run by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, according to Kristen Chesser, Region 1 initiatives director. However, officials this week cautioned that the implementation won’t be instantaneous.
“We recognize that this will take time to build, like how 911 was built out over time,” said Lauren Cunningham, communications director at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
The 988 number, also referred to as Suicide and Crisis Lifeline service, is the result of a federal mandate from the Federal Communications Commission. Those who have a local area code will be routed to the region’s crisis call center when they call.
People are also reading…
The 988 line will not replace the existing resources in the community, according to Region 1. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s 1-800-273-8255 number is still operational and people can still call Region Ten Emergency Services at (434) 972-1800 if they or their loved ones are experiencing a psychiatric emergency, according to Region 1.
Ringing 988 will route the call using a person’s area code. Callers with a different area code but want to access services in the area should call (434) 290-9704.
“You can still text the crisis call center number; and if you call or text or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline it will roll over to the call center so it’s all going to the same place,” Region 1 declared in a statement.
The goal for the new number is to provide an outlet that is easy to remember, like 911, during times of struggle. It’s also to reduce stigma of asking for help when facing behavioral health crises, according to John Draper, the executive director of the Lifeline.
“The new, easy-to-remember 988 will provide an alternate access point into care and help keep people in crisis from needlessly cycling through hospital emergency rooms and the criminal justice system,” former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams wrote in USA Today. “It will also provide minority communities that are often fearful of calling 911 for a loved one in mental health crisis, an option less biased toward a response based solely in law enforcement.”
Ahead of Saturday’s launch, Region 1 officials provided additional details about the new number.
Dialing 988 is not the same as calling 911, which is the switchboard the dispatches first responders to fire, public or medical safety event, according to Region 1. By calling 988, the person will receive emotional support and will interact within the behavioral health system to sidestep first responders when possible. 988 calls are not anonymous, but they offer confidentiality.
Virginia has five health planning regions and each will have a regional call center that are staffed with highly trained paraprofessional, volunteers and crisis line workers that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week every day of the year, according to Region 1.
Some states have been struggling with the transition, but Virginia has been advancing due to the state legislation and a focus on our comprehensive crisis efforts according to the information provided by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. The state has contracted with PRS CrisisLink to staff the crisis call centers in four of the state’s five health planning regions, according to a February news release from the Northern Virginia-based nonprofit. That includes Region 1.
PRS already was a provider of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in Virginia.
“Virginia and PRS have been working collaboratively for the last several years on preparing for greater Lifeline capacity, essentially developing funding pathways, workforce, and technology innovation to respond to 988,” said Laura Clark, a senior director at PRS CrisisLink. “Virginia was an early adopter of the 988 tax to establish a clear line of funding through cell phone taxes to ensure sustainability of this resource.”
PRS expects to see a rise in calls as awareness and momentum around the effort rises.
“We know that people will be curious and we are expecting a lot of calls about how things work,” Clark said.
Clark thinks that length of calls is one the bigger unknowns that would affect the crisis line’s capacity. Currently, PRS average call time is around 12 minutes.
This average is impacted by loads of short calls and many calls that last over an hour.
“What we don’t know is how this might change as people who have never called before reach out or how lots of information calls may reduce the average call time but increase demand,” she said.
The PRS senior director cautioned that the introduction of 988 is a soft launch, meaning that it is not designed to be a response system in the way the average citizen has been accustomed to think of 911.