Posted on July 15, 2022
NBC News NOW
Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO, joined NBC News Now morning edition for a live on-camera interview to discuss the new 988 number connecting callers to the Lifeline starting tomorrow (7/16) and how the process will work and what callers can expect.
READ MOREPosted on July 15, 2022
The New York Times
The law establishing 988 left the funding of call centers largely to states. While it gave states the option to raise money the same way they do for 911, with a monthly fee on phone bills, only four states have authorized a phone-bill charge. The national labor shortage has also affected the ability to hire and retain employees. The work force was an issue for the mental health field “long before the pandemic,” said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO, who noted that burnout was also a concern for professionals already in this space. While a lot of work has been accomplished since 988 was signed into law, Ms. Wesolowski said, “we’re trying to build a comprehensive system, and that’s going to take more than two years.”
READ MOREPosted on July 14, 2022
Washington Post
“I look at 988 as a starting place where we can really reimagine mental health care,” said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO. “We’re really looking at a fundamental tide shift in how we respond to people in mental health crisis.”
READ MOREPosted on July 12, 2022
The New York Times
Counselors on the other end of the hotline are trained in handling a wide range of mental health issues, including self-harm, addiction and suicidal ideation, said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO. “If someone has been through a traumatic event and is struggling to process it — and there are traumatic events happening throughout this country — this is a place to turn to,” Wesolowski said.
READ MOREPosted on July 6, 2022
ABC News
"A lot of people are just now learning that the unfortunate reality for a lot of Black youth is that they are dying," said Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director for NAMI. "And a lot of that has to do with the fact that mental health conditions are often underdiagnosed or are not adequately treated for the conditions that they have." Crawford said the utilization of mental health services among Black youth is lower than among other groups.
READ MOREPosted on July 2, 2022
Washington Post
Teri Brister, NAMI Chief Program Officer, says peer groups can be a good fit for anyone looking for personal support and to learn from others. Although each peer group differs, the underlying goals tend to be the validation of people’s emotions, help them feel less alone, and create community. One study found that these groups can increase resilience and help people feel more empowered and hopeful about the future.
READ MOREPosted on June 22, 2022
NBC4: DC
Dan Gillison, NAMI CEO, is featured on-camera for a segment. Black men are changing the narrative around mental health by leading major mental health groups including NAMI, American Psychological Association, and American Counseling Association. Their goal is to make better policy decisions and improve training and treatment options.
READ MOREPosted on June 22, 2022
TIME
Nearly 53 million Americans—roughly one in five adults in the U.S.—experienced some form of mental illness in 2020, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Since the start of the pandemic, perhaps as a response, some 39% of employers expanded access to mental health services, according to the KFF’s 2021 Employer Health Benefits Survey. “Ten years ago, no one was talking about mental health at work,” says Jessica Edwards, NAMI CDO.
READ MOREPosted on June 18, 2022
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/18/politics/988-suicide-prevention-lifeline-groups-express-concern/index.html
Leading mental health and suicide prevention groups are expressing concern that the new, shorter number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -- 988 -- will not be ready to handle an anticipated influx of calls when it's available nationwide next month. Starting July 16, people seeking mental health services can call 988 to access counselors and response teams at the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO, told CNN that her organization is "really worried" about the increase in demand once people learn of 988 in July and beyond given that "call centers are struggling to keep up with demand now."
READ MOREPosted on June 13, 2022
US News & World Reports
A recent Stanford University study on Denver's STAR program dispatches a two-person health team with a mental health provider and a paramedic instead of police for calls involving a nonviolent person with a mental health or substance abuse crisis. "We need to make sure these people get help rather than handcuffed," said Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO. Mental health teams, arriving with water and blankets, create a different environment. "They ask questions: Does your head hurt? How are you sleeping?" Wesolowski said. "They connect with the person and try to get at the root of what's going on."
READ MORENAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “helpline” to 62640, or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).
