By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has introduced a new website for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, tailored specifically for Washington state residents. The 988 Lifeline is a nationwide, three-digit dialing code that connects individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis with a trained counselor.
The origins of the lifeline trace back to the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2020. This act established 988 as the new, nationwide, easy-to-remember number for anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide, substance use concerns, or another mental health-related crisis. “988 went live nationwide on July 16, 2022,” says Lonnie Peterson, 988 Crisis Systems Manager.
The 988 Lifeline offers free, confidential support and is available seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year through phone calls, texts, or online chat. The DOH’s new website is part of the state’s larger 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Awareness Campaign. It is designed to enhance and complement the existing national 988 Lifeline website.
“Our state’s new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline campaign website highlights Washington-specific mental health resources, including many specifically designed for priority populations,” said Michele Roberts, Assistant Secretary of the Prevention and Community Health Division. “We hope this new website provides more awareness of this lifesaving, free, and confidential service, encourages people to use the lifeline, and supports a more compassionate and accessible mental and behavioral health care system.”
The new 988 website answers frequently asked questions about the lifeline, including how it works, who it supports, and how people can use it to support a loved one in crisis. The site also includes a toolkit for partners and organizations, as well as a supplementary resources page.
Despite the launch of 988 nationwide in July 2022, many people in Washington remain unfamiliar with the lifeline. A survey conducted by DOH earlier this year revealed that only 37% of respondents were familiar with the 988 Lifeline. Additionally, about 80% of participants whose primary language is not English had not heard of the 988 Lifeline.
DOH aims to address this lack of awareness with its 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Awareness Campaign. The campaign seeks to provide resources to individuals in crisis, reduce disparities, build awareness, and drive action to prevent suicide. It includes additional resources on coping skills and actionable tools to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress.
“Every time we have the opportunity to talk about this service, we have the ability to save lives,” says Peterson. “We want this campaign to spark conversations about the 988 Lifeline and increase awareness so anyone in crisis knows where they can turn for support.”
The 988 Lifeline Awareness Campaign is supported by House Bill 1134, which emphasizes the need for an awareness campaign to educate the general population and specific priority audiences. The campaign includes paid search and social media efforts, videos for digital TV and cable channels, radio broadcasts, digital audio, and banner and print ads, all directing people to DOH’s new website.
“The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has become an essential resource for people experiencing mental health crises, including thoughts of suicide, substance use concerns, and other emotional distress. The primary goal of the 988 Lifeline is to provide support for people experiencing mental health-related distress in the moments they most need it and in a way that centers their needs,” says Peterson. “The continued growth in the number of calls, texts, and chats made to the 988 Lifeline helps illustrate the need for a robust and humane mental health and behavioral health care system. From July 2022 to March 2024, we had a 44% increase in calls answered, underlining the importance of this work.”
According to DOH, since the launch of 988, demand for its services has significantly increased. Calls have risen by 20%, texts by 212%, and chats by 163%. The counselors available on the lifeline undergo extensive training and are supported by licensed professionals in therapy fields.
“While 988 Lifeline crisis counselors aren’t licensed therapists or doctors and don’t provide ongoing therapy, licensed therapists oversee calls on every shift,” explains Peterson.
The expansion of crisis centers in more locations could be on the horizon through appropriate legislative channels and designations as “988 contact hubs.” Peterson clarifies that with the support of Governor Jay Inslee and proper legislation, Crisis Centers can apply to become contact hubs, enhancing and expanding the services so desperately needed.
“The Washington Legislature passed House Bill 1477 to support the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and enhance and expand behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention services for everyone in Washington state. HB 1477 was signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee on May 13, 2021,” says Peterson. “This bill and subsequent legislation require the Department of Health to adopt rules to establish standards for the designation of crisis centers as 988 contact hubs by January 1, 2025, and to designate the contact hubs by January 1, 2026.”
Current 988 Lifeline crisis centers and other crisis centers operating in the state will be able to apply to become 988 contact hubs. SB 6251, which passed earlier this year, caps the number of contact hubs that the Department of Health may designate at four. If the department wishes to designate more than four contact hubs, it will need legislative approval. “We have yet to determine the locations for these hubs,” Peterson adds.
Outreach and conversations surrounding the lifeline crisis centers and website are essential in increasing the community’s awareness of this resource. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the dangers of an existing mental health crisis, and this campaign aims to provide the necessary support for people in times of crisis. The DOH is making it a priority to raise awareness.
“We want to remind people that every time we have the opportunity to talk about the 988 Lifeline, we can save lives. We want to spark conversations about the 988 Lifeline and increase awareness so anyone in crisis knows where they can turn for support. We also want people to know that no crisis is too small. If you’re in distress, you can contact the 988 Lifeline for support,” says Peterson. “This new website is part of the 988 Lifeline Awareness Campaign. The campaign seeks to provide resources to people in crisis in the state of Washington, build awareness of the 988 Lifeline, and drive action to prevent suicide.”
By providing a dedicated, state-specific resource, DOH aims to ensure that individuals have access to the help they need, when they need it most through the new 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline website.
“With this website and the 988 Lifeline Awareness Campaign, we continue to work toward a more humane mental health and behavioral health care system that provides everyone in need in Washington with someone to contact, someone to respond to, and somewhere to go,” said Peterson.