Two years ago, on July 16, 988 became the new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number. It's shorter than the 11-digit 1-800 number that came before it and is accessible by call, text or chat.
If you dial or text 988 on your phone, the call center you’re connected to depends on your number’s area code. If you live in Oklahoma, you’ll likely be connected to the state’s primary call center, managed by Solari Crisis and Human Services.
Callers can expect an average answer speed of 11 seconds, and the majority of calls are based on concerns for the mental health and safety of the callers themselves or someone they are connected to.
Tony Stelter is the Chief of Statewide Crisis for Oklahoma’s Department of Mental Health and previously worked as a director at Solari. Before 988, the state usually received less than 2,000 calls per month. Now, Solari reports more than 6,000 monthly calls on its public dashboard. Stelter said this growth is likely due to increased awareness of the resource, along with the current national mental and behavioral health crisis.
If calls aren’t picked up at Solari, they could be answered by smaller teams at HeartLine and Family & Children’s Services.
Stelter said the goal of each call is “defined by the caller” and responders are trained to de-escalate the situation and connect people to resources, often as supplied by each individual state.
Brittany Hayes, Policy Director at Healthy Minds, said this is what makes 988 “more than just a hotline.”
“I think a lot of people think 988 and they think it’s just a phone number to call, but really, it’s Oklahoma’s plan to help individuals at whatever level they need,” Hayes said. “So that could be just a call, and that’s the system working at its best or it could be a mobile response, and that’s also the system working at its best.”
As Oklahoma continues developing its 988 Lifeline, Stelter said he wants to see more collaboration.
“It's a great intervention, but it’s not a magic wand,” Stelter said. “It’s going to take the whole system still working together and continuing to grow and see how we can better collaborate and work with each other.”
Stelter said Solari takes the mental health of its employees seriously. He said the company has built-in wellness days and a defined Employee Assistance Program in place, and these efforts combat the high rate of employee burnout present in emotionally demanding jobs.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
