This month is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and throughout the month Balanced You is highlighting resources and services that are there to provide support. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formally known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) provides support for people dealing with a mental health crisis or for a loved one in need of help. This is a free and confidential service available to anyone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by simply calling, chatting, or texting 988.
The 988 Lifeline offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. That could be:
- Thoughts of suicide
- Mental health or substance use crises
- Emotional distress
- And other reasons to connect.
The Lifeline also has four phone lines for specific groups including veterans, service members, and their loved ones; Spanish speakers; LGBTQIA2S+ teens and young adults; and American Indian and Alaska Native people. The latter is the only crisis line dedicated to supporting Native people and is staffed by crisis counselors who are tribal members or descendants with close community connections.
“Now that people know Native people are on the other line, they’re more likely to call,” said Rochelle Hamilton, Tribal Operations Manager for Volunteers of America Western Washington.
“We’re celebrating that success because this is a brand-new concept,” Hamilton said. “Typically, things are operated by people who have good hearts and good intentions, but don’t know us. There’s never been a service operated fully by Native staff, and now other states are looking to the Native and Strong Lifeline as a model.”
The 988 Lifeline has proven to be successful in the first year with thousands of calls, texts, and chats. This is a critical and essential service that offer crisis support for anyone, anywhere, anytime. You can read this article from the Washington State Department of Health or by clicking the 988 logo below to learn more about the program.
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