Quincy/Adams County 911 director confident new 988 suicide prevention lifeline will be easily remembered in mental health crises

QUINCY — The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which has existed since 2005, now is available nationwide by dialing a three-digit code – 988 – making it easier for those in crisis to get the help they need at any time.

The 988 code became available nationally on July 16. 

“I’m willing to bet there are a lot of folks who didn’t really even know 988 was ever on the horizon for us,” said Jessica Douglas, director of Quincy/Adams County 911.

The Federal Communications Commission voted in July 2020 to adopt rules to establish 988 as a unique, easy-to-remember phone number for people who may be suicidal or having a mental health crisis.

Funding for local 911 centers is collected through a surcharge on a person’s phone. A funding source for 988 has not yet been created, though Douglas would like for a similar surcharge to be created.

“It’s important to establish a separate funding stream to make sure (988) has its own healthy funding stream,” she said.

Information from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says the Biden-Harris administration has increased federal investments from $24 million to $432 million for 988. Congress has provided the Department of Health and Human Services workforce funding through the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. 

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also committed nearly $15 million to bolster Illinois’ statewide 988 Crisis Response Call Center. 

Douglas said a recently introduced Senate bill creates a trust fund in the Illinois state treasury to be used by the Department of Human Services for creating and maintaining 988.

Pritzker signed the Community Emergency Services and Support Act into law in August 2021. The law requires 911 centers to refer calls, seeking the mental and behavioral health support to a new service that can dispatch a team of mental health professionals rather than law enforcement. 

Douglas says 16 dispatchers are in the Quincy/Adams County 911 center when it is fully staffed. State and federal funding has made it possible to increase staffing at Illinois’ six existing 988 call centers to ensure calls are answered in-state. The closest 988 call center to Quincy is in Springfield.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young adults ages 15-34 in Illinois and fourth leading cause of death for those ages 35-44. Overall, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the state. 

“The pandemic has had an impact on stress levels and mental health across the board,” Dr. David Albert, director of the Division of Mental Health with the Illinois Department of Human Services, said in a press release. “This is an effort to increase access to vital crisis services, improve the efficacy of suicide prevention efforts and overcome the stigma around getting help. This will bolster the crisis care continuum in Illinois, better connecting people in crisis with call takers trained in suicide prevention, crisis de-escalation and stabilization.” 

Douglas hopes people will remember to dial 988 in a mental health crisis just as easily as they remember to dial 911 in a public safety crisis. (She also says many people in Adams County don’t realize they can text a message to 911, a service that has been in place since 2016, or to 988.)

“We’re not in the forefront of the public’s mind,” she said. “911 is the first link in the public safety response, but not everybody knows about 988. We hope to change that.”

Douglas says Adams County received no requests for mental health emergencies during the first week of 988’s existence.

People in mental health crisis or emotional distress also can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255). People who are not in crisis but are seeking treatment options for mental health conditions can visit 988hotline.illinois.gov or call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).