Federal Funds Ramp Up to Support July Launch of 988 Crisis Line

The Biden administration is requesting $700 million to launch the new 988 line for those in a mental health crisis, by July 16, 2022.

“There’s a level of excitement because 988 is a chance to improve mental health care services and outcomes, but funding needs to be large and sustainable in order for those services to grow over time. There’s also an element of concern because July is so close,” said Robert Gebbia, the CEO of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in an email to The Well News.

Currently, the National Suicide Prevention lifeline is available to those in mental health crisis. It is a 10-digit number which will link an individual to a network of 163 crisis centers funded by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“If funding isn’t in place or awareness of 988 isn’t raised, wait times will continue and people will still call 911 as the de facto emergency number,” said Gebbia.

“The 911 number is an important service, but it doesn’t need to be used when someone is anxious or depressed and needs to talk to a mental health care provider,” continued Gebbia.

Gebbia said COVID-19 has raised mental health concerns to a new level, as more individuals are struggling from mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

In 2020, 45,979 Americans died by suicide and the same year there were 1.2 million suicide attempts, according to data from AFSP.

“There’s a heavy reliance on law enforcement, and it has become the de facto response in our country. Often, they aren’t trained, and responding to mental health crises uses many of their resources,” said Gebbia.

“We don’t have specific data on the potential number of lives saved from a 988 line or the effectiveness of the current 911 system on responding to mental health crises. From history, nine out of 10 people who call a crisis center for their mental health can be addressed or de-escalated over the phone or through text. However, there are times when emergency dispatch is needed,” said Gebbia.

The 988 line will connect individuals with certified community behavioral health centers to dispatch mobile response teams. Emergency dispatch will include mobile crisis teams responding alone or in tandem with law enforcement, or crisis stabilization centers where someone immediately gets mental health care and follow-up care so recurrence is reduced or avoided.
“This is going to take financial investment, it’s not just 988, but it’s a way to think about how we can transform providing mental health care,” said Gebbia.

Studies have shown that nearly half of the people who die by suicide do not have any mental health care.

“We want to see a continuum of care which means having call centers that can answer calls and texts and a strong response infrastructure through emergency care crisis centers,” said Gebbia.

According to a 2019 report, there is evidence that the three-digit number will, “likely make it easier for Americans in crisis to access potentially life-saving resources.”

To increase funding for states to implement the 988-line, Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., and seven other representatives introduced the 988 Implementation Act Thursday, March 17, to provide federal funding and guidance for states to implement their crisis response infrastructure ahead of the July launch.

The act would authorize $10 million for the behavioral health crisis coordinating office to support state and local 988 and crisis service implementation, $15 million for crisis service workforce development through HRSA and $10 million for a national suicide prevention media campaign to raise public awareness of the resource.

Another $240 million would ensure that 988 is accessible and offers timely 24/7 response to those in need, and specialized services for youth, veterans, LGBTQ individuals, people of color, people with disabilities and other underserved populations.

In a separate Senate bill, S.2661, also known as the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, states would be able to collect revenues to be used to build out local crisis services.

Gebbia said that fees collected on phone bills from landlines and cell phone lines could be an ongoing source of financial support for crisis call centers and even for wraparound services.

“The federal money doesn’t reach local crisis centers or support the Lifeline in terms of calls, training, or accreditation, so we think a sustainable source of funding from states will help,” said Gebbia.

There are currently four states that have approved legislation without calling for fees.

“We’re hopeful there’s a federal budget for 988, and states can ramp up fast, so demand doesn’t exceed capacity,” said Gebbia.