Staff report

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline commemorated three years of service on Wednesday. Since launching in 2022, the Lifeline’s trained specialists have responded to nearly 600,000 calls, texts and chats from Ohioans experiencing emotional distress or a behavioral health crisis.

In Ohio, 988 is administered by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) through an in-state network of 988 contact centers that provide coverage to all 88 counties. Ohioans who are experiencing a mental health or addiction crisis can call, text, or chat 988 to access free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“988 is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing behavioral health related distress,” said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn. “By providing immediate support, the Lifeline makes behavioral health care more accessible for everyone, no matter where they are or what they’re facing.”

Ohio’s call centers are staffed by specialists trained to respond to crisis calls appropriately, offer support and connect individuals to resources within their own communities. So far this year, these specialists have responded to an average of 22,000 contacts each month. Almost 98% of people who call, text or chat the 988 Lifeline receive the crisis support they need without requiring additional services at that moment. However, contact specialists can provide referrals to local treatment providers and recovery support when necessary.

The department expects the volume of calls, texts, and chats to increase as familiarity of the resource grows. “As more Ohioans become familiar with the service, our hope is that reaching out to 988 for a behavioral health crisis will become as natural as calling 911 for other types of emergencies,” Cornyn said.

Last year, OhioMHAS launched a statewide campaign to increase public awareness of 988. The campaign included a baseline survey that revealed about a third of Ohioans knew about the lifesaving resource. A follow-up survey is in the works to help measure the impact of the campaign and gauge awareness.