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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Suicide prevention advocates are backing a new bill in the state Senate that would help improve the quality of access to behavioral health crisis services.
SB 181 is before the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee.
The bill would provide a steady source of revenue for 988, a newly created national crisis hotline. There would be a user fee of $0.11 per mobile user to fund the line.
Sheila Moran, director of communications for First Choice Services in Charleston, said while they support the legislation, they fear the expansion would result in longer wait times for people in need of immediate help.
“Projections are that we’re going to go from about 10,000 calls per year up to as many as 30,000 calls, chats and texts,” Moran said. “At the current level, we would not be able to continue answering that line in the quick manner that we do right now.”
Moran said one of the benefits of having a call center located in West Virginia is that they can assist their neighbors, but if there are too many calls coming in, she said there’s a chance they could be diverted elsewhere.
“If it doesn’t get answered in our queue, it could go out of state. We know people who are here in West Virginia would rather talk to someone here in West Virginia who is familiar with the resources and be able to quickly help them,” she said.
The 988 hotline will be implemented nationwide this July to facilitate quick access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The line will be open to anyone experiencing mental health distress or crisis, not just suicidal thoughts.
Moran said 988 will be critical to managing an anticipated significant increase in call volume due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since 2018, we’ve had a 63 percent increase. Even before the pandemic, mental health needs were growing. The pandemic has greatly exacerbated that,” she said.
Every second counts when it comes to suicide, Moran said.
“Nobody likes a long wait, but if you’re in crisis or you’re suicidal, that could be disastrous,” she said. “I think a lot of people would just hang up.”
According to the legislative text, SB 181 reduces stigma surrounding suicide, mental health and substance use disorders and is meant to save lives.
Anyone feeling depressed, suicidal or in need of emotional support can reach the National Suicide Lifeline 24/7 at 1-800-273-TALK.