“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,” DeWine said.
Since its launch on July 16, 2022, the service has grown steadily, according to the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), which said Ohio has 19 call centers and is the most of any state in the nation.
Thousands of quick contacts
Ohio’s call centers have responded to nearly 340,000 calls, texts, and chats in two years, OhioMHAS said. This is an average of more than 14,000 contacts each month.
“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,” DeWine said.
Ohio 988′s average speed-to-answer rate is 25 seconds, which is quicker than the national average of 36 seconds nationally, the state said.
Since its launch, the average amount of calls rolling over to the national 988 network is just 2%, according to OhioMHAS. The vast majority of calls from Ohioans are answered in-state by individuals with knowledge of local resources.
Anyone can call
The 988 hotline is what was previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which was the 1-800-273-8255 number that launched in 2005.
In preparation to get every Ohioan access to 988, the state expanded its call center capacity in to cover all 88 counties in Ohio. Previously, the national service did not include coverage for 22 counties, mostly located in the northwest portion of the state, prior to May 1, 2022.
Anyone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis – or their family members – can call, text, or chat the 988 hotline to reach a trained specialist who can offer assistance.
Reasons to call 988 include can include, but are not limited to: thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, financial and relationship struggles, and any other kinds of serious emotional distress.
“988 is confidential and functions as a crucial gateway to crisis support within our communities,” said OhioMHAS director LeeAnne Cornyn.
Boosting visibility
More Ohioans are aware of the service than the national average, OhioMHAS says.
Slightly more than one-third of Ohioans, or 36%, currently express familiarity with the service, compared to 17% nationally.
“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,” Cornyn said.
To further boost visibility of the service, OhioMHAS launched a statewide, multimedia awareness campaign in May. The campaign includes boosting branding for 988 to reach more eyes, such as through advertisements, billboards, strategically placed signs, multiple agencies using the 988 logo and more.
As part of the campaign, Ohio launched the Ohio988 Materials Generator, which allows anyone in Ohio – including schools, local governments, faith-based organizations, neighborhood groups, emergency response agencies, and individuals – to create customized posters, videos, social media posts and more materials promoting the service and how it can help people. To find the materials generator, visit ohio988.org.
Other organizations’ efforts
As 988 enters its third year of service, state mental health leaders are encouraging local communities and organizations to get involved to raise awareness of 988.
“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.”
Various groups throughout the state have taken their own approaches to promoting 988.
The Huron County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services collaborated with six law enforcement agencies in the county, as well as with the Huron County Department of Job and Family Services and the Huron County EMA, to add 988 decals to their vehicles. To date, 79 decals have been purchased by the board and have been added to the vehicles.
The city of Columbus Department of Public Utilities designed and installed more than a dozen signs promoting 988 at strategic public access locations throughout the city – including the Hoover and O’Shaughnessy dams where incidents of suicide have occurred over the past decade.
Columbus’ public utilities department also hosted two crisis intervention trainings for its water protection specialist staff. This allows those rangers to be better equipped to offer resources and support to reservoir visitors who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
This past May, Heidelberg University rented three billboards in Seneca County near their campus to boost awareness of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline among students and their families. The billboards, which will remain in place through August, were strategically placed so that students and their families would see them when they are traveling to and from campus.
Additional counties have created banners and spread awareness through leaflets included in programs like Meals on Wheels.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or visit 988Lifeline.org for 24/7, confidential support.
You can also learn more at mha.ohio.gov/988.
By the numbers
- Ohio has received 339,390 total 988 contacts, including calls, chats and texts, since July 2022.
- There is an average of 14,141 988 contacts per month.
- There is an average of 1,652 chats received per month from Ohio area codes.
- There is an average of 2,686 texts per month.
- There is an average of 9,804 calls per month.
- 2% of calls are rolled over to a national back-up call center.
- The average speed to answer rate is 25 seconds in Ohio, compared to 36 seconds nationally.
About the Author
