It’s now been two years since the official switch of the Suicide Prevention and Mental Crisis Hotline to three simple numbers: 988 . Now, Sunday marks the first-ever official “988 Day,” to commemorate the lifesaving hotline’s implementation.
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“It is the ease of access now with text, chat, they have American sign language, and the old standard phone call. So people are absolutely utilizing this service,” licensed psychologist Dr. Justin D’Arienzo told Action News Jax Sunday morning.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, calls in Florida and Georgia have gone up 56% on average since 9-8-8 launched.
In July, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration statistics show Florida got more than 16,000 9-8-8 calls, all answered in an average of 31 seconds. Georgia received just over 8,000 calls in July.
Dr. D’Arienzo outlined the difference the 988 helpline makes in preventing those in crisis from finding what he calls “a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”