Efforts to establish long-term funding for Oklahoma's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline have been unsuccessful. With federal funding expected to run dry next year, mental health advocates are urging lawmakers to create a plan to cover costs.
State lawmakers held an interim study at the Capitol Oct. 15 to discuss possibilities.
Funding could be achieved with as little as a 13-cent monthly phone line tax, according to Brittany Hayes, the policy director at Healthy Minds Policy Initiative.
She said 12 states have already established a 988 phone tax, ranging anywhere from eight to 72 cents per month, per line. Five other states will pay for their lifelines with a recurring state appropriation. The rest of the country, including Oklahoma, is still scrambling to designate a funding source, Hayes said.
If lawmakers agreed to a phone line tax, it would take time for the funds to accumulate. Hayes said a $5.7 million appropriation would be needed to maintain current levels of service in the meantime.
Oklahoma has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, and it's increasing faster than the national average. From 2013 to 2022, nearly 8,000 Oklahomans died by suicide, an average of two people every day.
Every month, Oklahoma's 988 line receives between 7,000 and 8,000 calls — a number that's only expected to increase, according to Tony Stelter, who helps oversee crisis services for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health.
In the past year, Stelter said more than 1 in every 20 Oklahoma adults reported serious thoughts of suicide. Numbers for younger Oklahomans were even higher. In a survey administered to students across the state, 11.7% of respondents self-reported they made a plan to die by suicide in the past year. 7.2% reported they had attempted suicide.
Earlier this year, Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, D-Oklahoma City, introduced a bill to set up a monthly 5-cent fee, but it failed in session. Lawmakers were hesitant to increase taxes for their constituents, despite widespread support for 988.
All Oklahomans already pay a monthly $1.25 per line to fund 911.
Hayes said a national study found Americans are more willing to pay higher monthly fees on their phone bill for 988 after learning that's how 911 is funded. The study also found 89% of Americans in states that already have an added 988 fee were unaware they were paying it.
"If we want to maintain 988 as the resource that it is now, with the level of investment that we've put into it, we as Oklahomans have to figure out a way to pay for that," Hayes said.
If the state doesn't find a solution to pay for 988 by the time federal assistance is set to end next June, calls would likely be routed to national centers instead.
The Oklahoma 988 line can dispatch a local crisis response for people who need it and connect them with nearby services. Mobile crisis response teams are made up of licensed behavioral health professionals, case managers and peer support specialists, and can be dispatched to pressing calls that can't be resolved over the phone.
Stelter said Oklahoma has worked hard to build up its local system, contracting with 15 mental health providers to be on call for dispatch.
Immediate, on-site support is less traumatic than an emergency room visit, and it saves the state money, Stelter said.
"Beyond its lifesaving reach, 988 also is a smart investment for Oklahomans by diverting mental health-related calls from 911 and saving taxpayers approximately $82 million every year. A single 911 call can cost around $1,200 to respond but a 988 call costs around $63," said Rep. Tim Turner, R-Kinta.
He commended the savings generated by 988, but said he wants to find a different funding solution that doesn't ask taxpayers for more money.
Hayes said some states are considering whether the Rural Health Transformation Fund could be used to pay for 988, but relying again on temporary funds would just kick long-term sustainability down the road.
Oklahoma's 988 call center is operated by Solari, a nonprofit that also manages centers in Arizona and Colorado. The company has a total of 62 employees in Oklahoma, many of whom are responsible for taking calls.
The Department of Mental Health has also partnered with the Office of Emergency Management to create a liaison between 988 and local 911 call centers. The position helps 911 dispatchers transfer mental health calls to 988, freeing emergency lines for other crises.
Justin Chase, CEO of Solari, said calls to Oklahoma's 988 line have increased nearly 200% in two years.
"Thousands of Oklahomans rely on 988 every single year and it does save lives," he said. "The data is there, the stories are there, the impact is there."
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can dial or text 988 and be connected to help.
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.
