988: Hiring Underway in Illinois to Staff National Mental Health Hotline Launching Next Month

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As universal as it is to dial 911 in an emergency, starting July 16, anyone experiencing a mental health crisis nationwide will be able to dial 988 to get direct access to a trained counselor within the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network. But how will that work in Illinois?

That’s why the health department is looking to hire more counselors to prepare for the 988 rollout.

In 2020, bipartisan legislation in Congress mandated the launch of the three-digit number to reach trained counselors who belong to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network, but left financial support for staffing, phone lines, computer systems and other infrastructure up to the states. Most states haven't allocated money for the service, with only Colorado, Nevada, Virginia and Washington enacting comprehensive funding plans. According to apublished last month, more than half of public health officials charged with launching the 988 line said they felt unprepared and without necessary financing for staffing or infrastructure to handle the rollout.

“Illinois is a big state. We have a lot of people living here. If we really want people to be connected to local resources, we’re going to need more than six centers,” Bhagwat said.

 

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