Getting help for mental health has never been easier. Ever since the launch of the 988 hotline, more people in crisis can get help.
In North Carolina, just as in other states, there has been an increase in those calls coming in. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said it has not had turnover issues and has been able to make sure staff positions are filled.
Statewide in 2023, more than 96,000 calls came in, and the state said it was able to staff those calls with a 98% answer rate and picked up the phone within 14 seconds.
This comes amid national data showing some states have had staffing issues because of burnout and high turnover rates. NCDHHS said it has been fully staffed and said it provides flexibility on scheduling. Supervisors and a debrief team help the staff members in case things are overwhelming.
In a statement to ABC11, NCDHHS said “All crisis Counselors complete 56-hour crisis intervention trainings, a 24-hour on-the-job training provided by REAL Crisis and a 16-hour Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Also, there are monthly in-service training events for all crisis counselors, which offer additional training opportunities and case study review of calls and/or review of best practice and community options for callers.”