![[CREDIT: Sen. Jack Reed] U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, RI Speaker Joe Shekarchi, and Gov. Dan McKee toured the 988 Lifeline call center and marked #MentalHealthMonth with them Monday to advance suicide prevention efforts.](https://warwickpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Reed-988-Lifeline-Suicide-Help-Line.jpg)
“Crisis doesn’t have standard business hours, so our team is here every hour of every day to support Rhode Islanders in distress,” stated Sydney. “People who are suffering and in crisis deserve support, and we are here to be that support for Rhode Islanders.”
Monday, Sydney, her fellow crisis counselors, federal and state elected officials, members of Horizon Healthcare Partners (HHP) and community allies and partners honored the frontline 988 Crisis Counselors that answer the calls, texts and chats every day, seeking to continue spreading word that their service is available to Rhode Islanders facing struggles ranging from mental health and substance use to violence, homelessness, and social factors that can make people feel afraid or distressed.
Speakers also stressed the importance of all Rhode Islanders helping to spread the word, urging those who know about 988 to speak to family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and those in the community, about this critical resource.
The 988 Lifeline
The vision of 988 nationally is a system that links callers to a full continuum of crisis care, which consists of 3 key parts: someone to talk to (24/7 crisis call centers), someone to respond (mobile crisis response teams), and somewhere to go (crisis respite and stabilization centers).
In Rhode Island the 988 and BH Link hotline has answered more than 33,000 calls. Rhode Island boasts a 98% in-state answer rate, one of the best in the country. Additionally, the Rhode Island average speed to answer time of 2 seconds means that callers are getting immediate and swift attention.
The origins of 988 have Rhode Island roots, with RI’s own Senator Jack Reed co-authoring the legislation that Congress passed on Oct. 17, 2020, creating the new 988 behavioral health hotline. The legislation, named the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, directed the replacing the National Suicide Lifeline which operates the 10-digit number: (800) 273-TALK (8255). Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to designate 9-8-8 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.
“It takes a lot for someone experiencing a mental health crisis to pick up the phone and call 988. That one call can really make a big difference. The crisis counselors staffing this 988-hotline day and night do a tremendous job helping people and offering lifesaving support. We’ve got to ensure they have the resources needed to answer these calls and keep up with the volume,” said Reed.
In Rhode Island, BH Link operates the local calls to 988. BH Link has been answering these calls since the summer of 2019, when the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH), which funds BH Link, chose to take advantage of the fact that the center was already answering calls 24/7. HHP contracts with Community Care Alliance (CCA) to run both BH Link and the 988 Call Center.
Almost immediately, the percentage of Lifeline calls answered in-state jumped from one of the lower in-state rates to 98%, one of the best in-state call answer rates in the country, and that is making a difference in terms of helping people in need.
Additionally, 988’s physical placement within the BH Link ensures that there is a team of masters-level clinicians, nurses, peers, and frontline workers who can assist crisis counselors in responding to calls and who can offer 24/7, in-person assessment and referrals for people wanting immediate treatment.
“The two program’s shared model means that callers looking for help from 988 will be offered an opportunity to walk into BH Link for an in-person assessment or connection to services or will be offered transport to our site,” said Katie Anderson, Vice President for Acute Services for Community Care Alliance. “This direct connection to a physical treatment center distinguishes Rhode Island’s 988 from those in other states. Not only are our calls rarely bouncing to a national call center, where the person answering may not understand local resources – but we offer folks an added layer of in-person, immediate help and connection to services.”
“The 988 hotline provides lifesaving support to Rhode Islanders in crisis,” said Senator Whitehouse. “This resource would not be possible without Senator Reed’s leadership and the crisis counselors who work around the clock to help everyone who needs it.”
Author: Rob Borkowski
Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.
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