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(Des Moines, IA) -- Starting July 16th, Iowans experiencing a mental health, suicide, or substance use crisis can call 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
The line will be answered 24 hours a day, year-round, even on holidays. The line also will provide specialized support for veterans and Spanish-speakers, who will have the option to press a number to reach a mental health professional who can serve specific needs.
"It's going to be going active nationwide on Saturday. No matter where you are in the country, if you call 988, you will be getting a response," says Peggy Huppert, Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Iowa. She says NAMI and other mental health advocates have pushed for an updated hotline for years, but the pandemic heightened the need.
"43% of adult Iowans reported dealing with depression or anxiety in October of 2020," says Huppert. "That was compared to 15% in 2018. It's also led to more of a willingness to talk about it openly, to address mental health concerns in the workplace, in schools, and other settings."
The ease of access to the mental health crisis hotline is expected to help take the load off local law enforcement, who may not be specialized in de-escalating the various types of mental health crises.
"Almost everyone knows to call 911 in the case of an emergency, but we know that more and more 911 calls have been taken over with behavioral health crises. It's taking up a lot of time and resources and sometimes ends badly," says Huppert. She says if the people calling 911 for a mental health crisis would instead contact 988, those looking for help will more likely receive the needed aid.
"We could help 90% of the people who are calling or texting. Then, of the 10% that need in-person assistance, if we have people who are trained to respond to them, another 8% can be helped in the field," says Huppert. The ability to call or text 988 opens the door for people of all ages to reach out, including those who may be uncomfortable making a call.
Huppert says 988 will be the first three-digit nationwide calling code since 911, opening the door for the stigma surrounding the mental health conversation to further fall, comparing the 988 hotline to the growth, and now, prominence of 911.
"Our national CEO Dan Gillison has said this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change how we do crisis response," says Huppert. "The first 911 call was made in 1968. It has taken a long time for 911 to become an established service. Now, 97% of Americans have access to 911 calling, but it started out very small."
Following the 988 hotline launch on July 16th, Huppert says she wants to hear feedback from Iowans regarding the quality of support provided through the service. NAMI and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services will be looking for responses, such as "Did you get the help you needed?", "If you needed an in-person response, did you get one?", "How long did it take?", etc.
"We want to know what people's experiences are because we want to know where the gaps are. We want to know what needs to be improved, so we can advocate for that," says Huppert. "I know the state is very interested in being sure that happens. The last thing we want is to provide a three-digit crisis number, have people call it, and then not get the help that people need."
Those looking to give feedback can contact NAMI Iowa at (515) 254-0417, or info@IowaNAMI.org.
If you or someone you know needs mental health crisis support before 988 goes into effect on July 16th, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. The Your Life Iowa Statewide Crisis Line can be reached by calling (855) 581-8111 or texting (855) 895-8398.