We've Had The 988 Crisis Line For a Year. Here's What's Working and What Needs to Change
are reporting continued feelings of sadness and depression, as well as suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide. While some states have effectively increased staffing at call centers, others continue to struggle to find and train enough counselors to provide the support their regions need.
TIME: Text requests to 988 have increased by 1,135% compared to the previous year, chats by 141%, and calls by 46%. Did you anticipate such an increase in demand for crisis help?: We expected an increased uptake and requested funding from Congress to scale up the 200 call centers significantly to accommodate. We knew we would see that but still—and it’s breathtaking in its own way—it’s heartening to see this viable resource that people are connecting with when they are struggling.
We also launched an LGBTQ+ pilot a few months ago and we saw the volume come in there beyond what we anticipated, so we had to do extra staffing midway through. That will remain a consistent part of the call line—the ability for users to request a counselor specifically trained in issues relevant to the LGBTQ+ community.
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