NY State Will Receive $7.2 Million to Transition Suicide Prevention Call Center Services

In 2020, the U.S. had one death by suicide every 11 minutes. It is a leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 34 years. In effort to provide more help, Congress designated a new 988 dialing code to be operated through the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The designation happened in 2020, and the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has been charged with helping states, territories, tribes, mental health, substance use disorder professionals, and others find information on funding opportunities, along with implementation resources for strengthening suicide prevention and mental health crisis services. 988 will go live on all devices on July 16, 2022.

The state of New York recently announced that it has been awarded $7.2 million SAMHSA to help strengthen crisis call center services in preparation for the transition of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to the number 988 from the current 1-800-273-8255.

“The transition to 988 gives New York State a unique opportunity to strengthen its behavioral health crisis response system and increase its capacity to meet the needs of New Yorkers,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “Too often, people experiencing a mental health crisis or considering suicide feel as though they have no one to turn to, but the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides hope and help. Introducing this easy-to-remember, three-digit number will be a critical too in helping more people access services and support as we continue to tackle behavioral health crises.”

New York State’s $7.2 million is part of nearly $105 million in grant funding provided nationally by the American Rescue Plan to 54 states and territories. New York State has noted it will use the funds to improve response rates, ensuring calls that originate in the state are first routed to regional crisis contact centers. They may also use the funds to build the workforce necessary for enhancing local text and chat response.

Edited by Erik Linask