Kentucky has officially launched the new mental health crisis hotline. Instead of the old ten-digit phone number, now people only have to call or text the number 9-8-8. Mental health officials say suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people in Kentucky.
Marcie Timmerman is the executive director of Mental Health America, Kentucky. She said the new number is going to make things much easier for those going through something.
“Depression, anxiety are number one reasons for those, that, once we started asking in 2021, were saying they’re lonely, people have a lot of past trauma, these are things that we carry. You can sometimes get into a crisis mode and being able to remember 988 when you’re in that moment, takes away so much stress,” Timmerman said.
According to the Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 15% of Kentucky high school students reported having seriously considered suicide during the previous year. That survey was release in September 2021.
Audra Hall is coordinator of emergency services for Pennyroyal Center in Hopkinsville. She said having local or regional call centers will be vital to helping people dealing with a mental health crisis.
“Counselors link individuals to other mental health and substance use services when that service is needed. Knowing those local resources and making those direct connections in the community can provide a strong safety net.”
There will be thirteen centers to provide primary care coverage for all 120 counties and backup coverage for 80% of those areas.
This process was made possible by a two-year grant of over a million dollars from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The upcoming state budget includes nearly 20-million dollars over two years to support 9-8-8.
