Call Centers on ‘Shoestring Budget’ for Suicide Prevention Line

Call Centers on ‘Shoestring Budget’ for Suicide Prevention Line

Posted on January 12, 2022

Resource-strapped call centers anticipate a burst of demand in July when the new 988 national suicide prevention hotline number goes live. But a lack of funds to help meet that demand is delaying efforts to publicize the service. The federal government must invest in public awareness, but the priority is to ensure that when people in need call there are the resources available to help, NAMI chief advocacy officer Hannah Wesolowski said. A nationwide public awareness campaign likely won’t take place until late 2022 or early 2023, Wesolowski said.