Parker Ross handles some of the toughest calls in Minnesota.
Ross, a specialist and assistant manager for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line, run by the United Way of the Greater Twin Cities, sees a variety of calls, from people who just want to talk to those contemplating suicide, from young to elderly. One caller Ross spoke of was a 5-year-old child.
“We get very low-risk calls where people just want to talk to someone. We also get very high-risk calls where people are very actively considering suicide, whether or not they’ve already attempted it before contacting us,” he said.
“We deal with a lot of [of issues]These are people who call us about sadness, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and substance use issues.”
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Now in its third year, 988 has become a lifeline for tens of thousands of Minnesotans. In 2023, the state’s 988 center fielded more than 50,000 calls, texts and chats, a 74% increase from the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, which oversees the state’s 988 operations.
The 988 system was designed to improve contact with the existing 1-800 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which can be difficult to remember in a crisis. Advocates say the system has been a success locally and across the country, but challenges remain.
Minnesota is a national leader
988 will be funded with nearly $1 billion from the federal government to connect people to a nationwide network of centers, with each state responsible for building the infrastructure.
Minnesota is one of 10 states that have passed legislation to build 988 to better serve residents, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Lawmakers approved adding a 12-cent service fee to monthly phone bills, a measure expected to provide about $9 million a year in funding, similar to the way 911 is supported.
Observers say Minnesota stands out for its adoption of 988 and its high response rate: 87% to 90% of people with a Minnesota area code who call, text or chat online are connected to someone who can immediately help.
“In addition to financial assistance, Lifeline centers have been able to increase staffing to respond to calls, texts and chats from Minnesotans,” said Tanya Carter, suicide prevention supervisor for the state’s 988 program.
There are four centers in Minnesota, including one that covers North Dakota and the Fargo-Moorhead area of Minnesota.
Those seeking help can remain anonymous. Most callers who share their information are women and girls. The largest age group of users is between 25 and 44 years old.
“Typically we try to have a bit more of a conversation first and always try the least invasive measure first, which is de-escalation,” Jamie Drewlow, text and chat supervisor at Grand Rapids-based call center First Call for Help, told MPR News in a recent interview.
“We’re working to develop safety plans, connect with other resources, and if we feel like anyone needs more support, we try to connect with our crisis response team,” Drewlow said. “It’s always our goal to meet people’s needs as they are.”
Ross said some of the most common calls they receive are from people who are worried about an acquaintance or someone in their community who seems unwell.
His center is open 24 hours a day, employs 31 trained suicide prevention call specialists, and some months fields nearly 3,000 calls from people needing support.
Minnesota also has a text-and-chat-only center run by Mental Health Minnesota, a method of communication that’s steadily growing and is seen as the preferred method for many young help-seekers.
“I just felt heard.”
Nationwide, the implementation of 988 has been seen as a success, but advocates say there is still work to be done.
Despite the high volume of calls from people seeking help, public awareness remains low, with 51% of Americans saying they don’t know when to call 988 and 38% reporting they don’t know what to do if a loved one is having a mental emergency, according to a national poll commissioned by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Though the phone system has improved, people seeking help say wait times can be long and hold music is not therapeutic.
Area codes can also be an issue: The system is set up to route calls to centers based on the phone’s area code, so if a caller moves to Minnesota from another state and still has their old phone number, they’ll end up being connected to a 988 center in their previous state.
The Greater Twin Cities United Way Center has procedures in place to respond to such situations, but it can slow down the process of connecting people seeking help with local resources and emergency services, Ross said.
Federal officials say they are working on solutions, including a geo-routing solution, but that will take time to implement.
But overall, the feedback on 988 has been positive. Sue Abderholden, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of NAMI, said 988 is a welcome addition to bolster a growing mental health care system and help people get the level of care they need, at the right time. It took people a long time to embrace 911, Abderholden noted, but now it’s a vital service for getting help.
There was initial concern that 988 would prevent people experiencing mental illness from getting emergency help, but the Minnesota Department of Health reported that only 1.2 percent of calls needed to be transferred to 911 for emergency intervention, and 4.8 percent were transferred to a mobile crisis response team.
The remaining 94 percent of those seeking help received support and appeared to be stabilised after contacting 988.
Ross said most people he has spoken to are able to get the support they need by speaking with a trained crisis counselor.
“Just having someone on the other end of the phone to support you and listen can mean a lot,” he says. “For most of our clients, feeling heard and supported is the kind of intervention they need.”
Read more from past reporting from Call to Mind, an MPR News mental health initiative.
How to identify and support people struggling with their mental health
NAMI Minnesota has created a list of warning signs to look out for, including talking about wanting to die or becoming a burden to others, feeling trapped, researching ways to end one’s life, cutting ties with friends, letting go of important possessions, and taking dangerous risks like driving too fast.
If these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, please call or text 988 to speak to a trained counselor. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.