Gwen Rummell reporting –
The 988 lifeline is an all-day, all-week lifeline available to all Ohioans in crisis or considering suicide.
This upcoming Sunday, July 16th will mark one year since the launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Ohio and across the nation. The anniversary was celebrated by Ohio 988 Administrator Doug Jackson, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Lori Criss, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
In Governor Mike DeWine’s two-year budget plan for 2023-2024, the 988 lifeline will receive $46.5 million in funding to sustain operations, as he notes it will make behavioral healthcare visible, accessible, and effective.
“Every day in Ohio, we of course, have people who are in a crisis. Families who are experiencing a crisis. 988 provides a place to turn. A place to start, but we’re also work to build Ohio’s continuum of crisis care.”
The 988 lifeline covers all 88 counties, with an average speed of 19 seconds.
Governor DeWine says that calling 988 not only supports a person in crisis, but also helps them in future endeavors.
“These services provide and these centers promote long-term recover by helping people connect to peer support and social isolation, allowing them to live independently in housing, and find meaning and purpose in their work, school, job training, or in volunteering.”
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline aims to grow in the future, adding call centers into more counties as well as spread across the nation.
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