In The News (7/30/22 – 9/1/22)

A bi-weekly compilation of news articles on crisis response and 988 implementation.

• Nat’l: The new 988 mental health hotline is live. Here’s what to know (NPR, 7/16/22)
• Nat’l: There’s Now a 911 for Mental Health (Bloomberg CityLab, 7/16/22)
• Nat’l: HHS Secretary on 988 Lifeline: ‘Governors Have Got to Own This’ (MedPage, 7/18/22)
• Nat’l: New 988 hotline doesn’t currently use geolocation services (AP, 7/21/22)
• Nat’l: Editorial: The 988 hotline could be transformational — if done right (Washington Post, 7/23/22)
• Nat’l: Opinion: The 988 Crisis Lifeline Offers Help Instead of Handcuffs (MedPage Today, 7/26/22)
• Nat’l: No, 988 suicide prevention lifeline can’t send your exact location to police (Verify This, 7/27/22)
• Nat’l: The US Mental Health Hotline Network Is Expanding, but Rural Areas Still Face Care Shortages (KHN, 7/28/22)
• Nat’l: New 988 Suicide Lifeline seeks to meet LGBTQ community’s unique needs (Washington Blade, 7/28/22)
• CA: Butte County Behavioral Health needs more staffing for crisis intervention (KRCR, 7/24/22)
• CA: Local crisis calls have increased by 15%, since ‘988’ launch (KGET, 7/27/22)
• CO: Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners addresses 988 suicide hotline concerns (9News, 7/21/22)
• CO: Colorado was better prepared than many states for transition to new 988 crisis hotline (The Denver Post, 7/23/22)
• FL: Suicide calls tripled with launch of 988; Crisis Center waiting on funding to hire more staff (WTSP, 7/18/22)
• FL: Suicide Prevention Lifeline sees massive uptick in calls after changing from 10-digit number to 988 (CBS Miami, 7/25/22)
• ID: 988 launched nationwide Saturday. Meet the team on the receiving end of the crisis calls. (KIVI, 7/19/22)
• KS: 988 mental health hotline call centers launch in Missouri, Kansas; what callers can expect (KSHB, 7/28/22)
• KY: New 988 number saw increase in calls during the weekend it launched (Kentucky Health News, 7/27/22)
• MD: Crisis center prepares to double staff to handle call volume from ‘988’ hotline (WBAL, 7/19/22)
• MD: Sen. Cardin: New 988 National Suicide Hotline ‘Will Save Lives’ (Montgomery Community Media, 7/22/22)
• MA: At a 988 call center, volunteers embrace a new number while providing familiar hope (STAT News, 7/20/22)
• MI: New state law: Counties can contract private companies for emergency mental health transport (WLUC, 7/21/22)
• MN: As new suicide hotline number launches, mental health advocates are hopeful (Fox News, 7/18/22)
• MN: Some lifeline centers seeing an increase in calls following 988 rollout (KARE11, 7/21/22)
• MS: Mistrust lingers in Black communities amid 988 launch (AP, 7/21/22)
• MO: Dispatchers in the Ozarks say calls increasing to new mental health hotline (KY3, 7/23/22)
• MT: Western Montana Mental Health Center serves roughly 300,000 people with 988 hotline (KPAX, 7/25/22)
• NY: NY and NJ poured millions into new 988 mental health hotline — which could help out-of-staters, too (Gothamist, 7/17/22)
• NY: 988 is available, but mental health advocates want long-term resources (Spectrum News1, 7/25/22)
• OH: Ohio’s new 988 mental health hotline needs funding (Axios Columbus, 7/18/22)
• OK: Meet the Champions team, an alternative response to mental health police calls in OKC (The Oklahoman, 7/23/22)
• OK: Q&A: How has 988 line worked in first month in Oklahoma? (The Oklahoman, 7/28/22)
• PA: 988 suicide hotline launches, despite concerns about staffing (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 7/17/22)
• PA: Wolf admin. celebrates launch of 988 helpline, says there’s more work to be done (Pennsylvania Capital-Star, 7/20/22)
• PA: Federal 988 ‘solution’ problematic locally (Bethlehem Press, 7/28/22)
• SC: Key centers missing in SC’s mental health efforts (The Post and Courier, 7/23/22)
• SC: SC Suicide Lifeline Call Center seeing increase in calls after 988 changeover (WCBD, 7/23/22)
• TX: National 988 crisis line launches without new mental health care funding in Texas (San Antonio Report, 7/20/22)
• VA: Virginia’s mental health hotline launches amid fears it won’t meet expectations (Virginia Mercury, 7/18/22)
• VA: Virginia’s program to reduce police mental health transports isn’t working (Virginia Mercury, 7/25/22)
• WA: How is the rollout of 988 going in Washington state? (KUOW, 7/26/22)
• WA: ‘One call for all’: 988 mental health hotline quadruples Everett staff (HeraldNet, 7/28/22)
• WV: 988 suicide and crisis hotline there for you via calls, texts and chats (Dominion Post, 7/23/22)
• WI: Wisconsin’s HOPELINE text service will continue to help those in crisis, along with 988 initiative (Spectrum News, 7/18/22)
• WI: Health officials combat 9-8-8 mental health hotline misinformation (Channel3000, 7/26/22)
• WY: Wyoming adopts 988 suicide hotline, seeks more funding (Wyoming Tribune Eagle, 7/22/22)