State officials are lauding the success of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, one year after its debut.
The 988 lifeline number allows North Carolinians to connect with a trained counselor via call, chat, or text any time, day or night. The three-digit line was launched in July of last year.
Officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services say that since its debut, there has been a 31 percent increase in residents reaching out for support. Ninety percent of the callers with thoughts of suicide reported an improvement in how they felt by the end of the interaction.
NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley released a statement saying that “988 has made it easier and faster for those in a mental health or substance use crisis to get the help they need.” And statistics back up that claim. North Carolina’s average speed to answer is 19 seconds, compared to a 41-second national average.
988 callers can currently connect with specialized crisis lines to support veterans, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, and Spanish speakers.
The next step will be the introduction of so-called peer “warm lines,” where individuals can speak to specialists with lived experience, potentially reducing any perceived stigma associated with mental illness or substance use disorder.