Good ideas don’t always prove to be effective once put into practice. But the implementation of Ohio’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline two years ago has proved to have been worth every ounce of effort.

According to a report from Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, the lifeline has responded to nearly 340,000 contacts during that time. Hundreds of thousands of people facing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide found support when they picked up their phones.

“988 is saving lives,” DeWine said. “The lifeline is providing free, around-the-clock support to Ohioans in crisis by connecting them with someone to talk to for help at the moment it’s needed most. I am proud of the impact 988 has made in two short years, and we fully intend to continue building on that momentum moving forward.”

Each month, an average of more than 14,000 Ohioans called, texted or chatted with someone who understands what local resources are available to help those in crisis. Their speed-to-answer rate has been nine seconds faster than the national average, too, meaning only 2% of calls to Ohio’s 988 are rolled over to someone at the national level who has less of an idea what immediate resources are available to a caller.

“988 is confidential and functions as a crucial gateway to crisis support within our communities,” said Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director LeeAnne Cornyn. “Our hope is that reaching out to 988 in a behavioral health crisis becomes as natural to Ohioans as dialing 911 in other types of emergencies.”

There is always room to improve, of course. And 988 officials are seeking help in boosting awareness of the lifeline.

“Any person or organization that puts effort toward building awareness about 988 is helping save lives,” said Doug Jackson, Ohio’s 988 administrator. “The life you save may be a friend, a loved one, or someone in your community. You may never know that you helped to save that life, but together, we can be certain that we are offering hope to those that need to talk to someone.”

If you are a person in need of support, don’t hesitate to call 988.

And if you are simply a person who desperately wants to make a difference for Buckeye State residents who are struggling, Jackson has given us a simple way to help.

Spread the word.