In response to the growing mental health crisis among young people, the Arkansas Crisis Center plans to launch a new program aimed at preventing crises before they escalate. Set to launch in 2026, the initiative, AR Teen Connect, will focus on training young people to assist their peers in distress, providing an early intervention system for mental health challenges.
The Arkansas Crisis Center, one of three primary call centers in the state handling 988 calls, has been at the forefront of mental health support. Joshua Gonzalez, the board chair of the center, emphasizes that the 988 hotline is open to anyone in crisis, with the definition of a crisis being self-determined by the individual. “It’s not what someone else thinks is a crisis; it’s what you think,” Gonzalez explains.
In 2025, approximately 20,000 Arkansans used the 988 service, with a notable shift in the demographic seeking help. In February of the same year, the center expanded its services to include text and chat messages, which resulted in an overwhelming 10,000 requests, 70% of which came from minors under the age of 18. Before the text and chat options were introduced, fewer than 5% of callers were underage…