Progress and Challenges in Implementing the National 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

The implementation of the revamped national suicide hotline, known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, has been a work in progress almost two years after its debut. With Congress allocating $1 billion to build out the hotline amid growing concerns over mental health, states have been tasked with establishing their own long-term funding to operate call centers and crisis services.

However, efforts have been uneven, leading to significantly lower response times in certain states. Chuck Ingoglia, CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, stated, “We want a system where everybody has a comparable experience. It seems to me we’re still a few years from that.”

Currently, only 10 states have implemented surcharges on cellphone bills to fund the 988 services, while several states have made short-term investments using general funds. Additionally, just 15 states have received temporarily boosted federal Medicaid funding for mobile crisis services.

Despite the challenges, calls, texts, and chats to the hotline have increased since its relaunch in July 2022. However, response rates vary across states, with some falling below the national average. Federal data shows that Nevada, Illinois, and Alaska have response rates below 70%, while Mississippi, Montana, and Rhode Island answered 97% of calls last month.

Looking ahead, states and cities are working towards integrating 988 and 911 services, while federal regulators are considering routing 988 calls to a person’s actual location to better connect them with nearby resources.

The road to a seamless crisis response system nationwide is still ongoing, but efforts are being made to improve the implementation of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.