Bill backs up new 988 suicide prevention line with funding

Bill backs up new 988 suicide prevention line with funding

Posted on March 17, 2022

Legislators introduced the 988 Implementation Act, a bill to help fund the 988 rollout and implementation. Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI Chief Advocacy Officer, said about 80% of calls to the Lifeline can be de-escalated over the phone. Of the 20% that can't, she said, about 70% can be resolved with the help of mobile crisis response teams. The rest can go to crisis stabilization centers, after which a majority can be discharged back into the community without being hospitalized. "Mobile crisis teams, which provide an alternative to law enforcement, are so critical. Relying on law enforcement is just an ineffective way to respond to [mental health] crises. That's not the job law enforcement signed up for, nor should we be asking them to do that," Wesolowski said.