988 Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

First Responders, Mental Health Experts Gather In Charleston For Crisis Intervention Team Training

Attendees at Charleston’s Summit will spend the next three days learning from CIT-certified law enforcement officers and behavioral health professionals about improved communication methods, identifying mental health resources for those in crisis and ensuring officer and community safety.

This week, First Choice Services, a Charleston-based non-profit, is hosting a summit to discuss crisis care and mental health in West Virginia.

First Choice Services operates several helplines including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line, the tobacco quitline, 1-800-gambler and more.

The nonprofit began its second annual West Virginia 988 and Crisis Intervention Team, or CIT, Summit in Charleston on Monday.

Sheila Moran is the Director of Marketing and Communication for First Choice Services.

“This is the West Virginia Crisis Intervention Team conference,” Moran said. “We have over 200 people here from all over the state, including first responders, law enforcement, behavioral health, decision-makers, and policymakers to learn a little bit more about the CIT program and how we can expand it statewide.”

Attendees include federal, state, and local officials, law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical service providers, advocates, mental health providers, substance use disorder professionals, criminal justice professionals and people who’ve experienced substance use, legal or mental health challenges, otherwise known as people with lived experience.

According to the American Psychological Association, nationally, at least 20 percent of police calls involve substance use or mental health crises and 65 percent of jail inmates report mental health concerns.

A CIT program can help officers respond with a community-based approach to improve the outcomes of these encounters. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, community-based approaches create connections between law enforcement, mental health providers, hospital emergency services and individuals with mental illness and their families.

Moran said the West Virginia Crisis Intervention Team/988 Summit is a joint conference because the lifeline is such a vital tool in West Virginia’s mental health response.

“988 is a lifeline for anyone who’s in crisis or feeling suicidal,” Moran said. “We are a resource, not just for people who are in crisis, but also for first responders, law enforcement, always available 24/7 for anyone who needs to talk.”

The keynote speaker of the summit is William S. Thompson, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia. He touted the 988 suicide and crisis line as an advancement in fighting the mental health crisis.

“The fact that we’re coming together for training like this, the 988 number, that is incredible, like a resource that’s underutilized in this state and needs to be utilized more,” Thompson said. “But the fact that somebody can dial three numbers and actually be connected for crisis help, that’s incredible.”

Moran said First Choice Services answered the National Suicide Lifeline for several years before the 988 program.

“When 988 came into being, we got funding for those things,” Moran said. “So it made a really big difference. And so now we have about 100 people at our office who work for either the West Virginia 988 program, or also the backup program. There are over 200 backup centers through the country that answer that line, so that when you call, it never goes to voicemail or busy.”

Moran said since the 988 program went into effect in West Virginia in 2022, calls have more than doubled.

“People sometimes hear that and think it’s bad news,” Moran said. “But indeed, it’s good because it means that people are reaching out for help. There are a lot of reasons for that. Obviously, the fact that 988 is a super easy phone number to remember is part of it.”

The summit will not only address how first responders react physically in a crisis but also mentally by addressing the mental health crisis among first responders.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, law enforcement and EMS have significantly elevated levels of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and are at higher risk for suicide.

Summit attendees will hear about evidence-based strategies to reduce these risks.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

DHHR To Distribute Federal Funding For Mental Health And Substance Use Services

In a release, the DHHR outlined seven grant programs that will support various health initiatives across the state.

More than $33 million in federal funding was awarded to the Bureau for Behavioral Health (BBH) to enhance mental health and substance use prevention services for West Virginians.

Federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will support prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery services across the state.

“BBH and its partners are seizing every opportunity to meet our state’s behavioral health needs,” said Dawn Cottingham-Frohna, commissioner for the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ (DHHR) Bureau for Behavioral Health. “With this funding, we are not only addressing the immediate needs of our communities but also investing in the long-term well-being of West Virginians.”

In a release, the DHHR outlined seven grant programs that will support various initiatives:

The Screening and Treatment for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders program will provide $750,000 annually for five years from the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand health care provider’s capacity to screen, assess, treat and refer pregnant and postpartum women for maternal mental health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD). BBH is partnering with the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership’s Drug Free Moms and Babies Project to implement the program.
The Children’s Mental Health Initiative will provide $3,000,000 annually for four years to provide resources to improve the mental health outcomes for children and youth up to age 21, who are at risk for, or have serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness and their families with connection to mobile crisis response and stabilization teams and other community-based behavioral health services through the 24/7 Children’s Crisis and Referral Line (844-HELP4WV).
The First Responders – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Grant will provide $800,000 annually for four years to build upon the Police and Peers program implemented by DHHR’s Office of Drug Control Policy. The activities will be administered by the Bluefield Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office in collaboration with Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center, Fayette County Health Department and Logan County Health Department.
The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness grant will distribute $300,000 annually for two years to support the system of care for adults in West Virginia and promote access to permanent housing and referral to mental health, substance abuse treatment and health care services. Grantees are located in areas of the state with the most need, based on the population of individuals experiencing homelessness, including the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless, Prestera Center, Raleigh County Community Action, the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness and Westbrook Health Services.
The Promoting the Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care grant will provide $1,678,044 annually over five years to serve adults with serious mental illness who have co-occurring physical health conditions or chronic diseases and adults with SUD. Three provider partner agencies have been identified to work on this project including Seneca Health Services Inc., Southern Highlands Community Behavioral Health Center and United Summit Center, covering 16 counties in the state.
The Cooperative Agreements for States and Territories to Improve Local 988 Capacity will provide $1,251,440 annually for three years to enhance the capacity of West Virginia’s single 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline center, which is funded by BBH and operated by First Choice Services, to answer calls, chats and texts initiated in the state. In addition to this award, First Choice Services received $500,000 from Cooperative Agreements for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Crisis Center Follow-Up Programs and a National Chat and Text Backup Center award from Vibrant Emotional Health to help answer overflow chats and texts from more than 200 local 988 centers nationwide.
The Behavioral Health Partnership for Early Diversion of Adults and Youth will provide $330,000 annually for five years to establish or expand programs that divert youth and young adults up to age 25 with mental illness or a co-occurring disorder from the criminal or juvenile justice system to community-based mental health and SUD services.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

988 Suicide Line Shares Success Stories

The new three-digit national crisis line took five million calls in its first year of operation.

September is National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, but all year long, the 988 suicide and crisis hotline takes calls and messages from people experiencing mental health crises.

In July 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline became 988, an easy-to-remember lifeline created to help people dealing with depression, substance use and suicidal ideation, and get more immediate help and be guided to additional resources.

The new three-digit national crisis line took five million calls in its first year of operation. Federal officials say that is up 35 percent compared to the old 10-digit line.

Since 2022, 988 has answered more than 665,000 text messages, a 1,135 percent increase from the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline the year before 988 went live. The 10-digit line only added text messaging in 2020.

Rozanna Bracken, the director of the West Virginia 988 line, read some anonymous appreciation messages from people who have contacted 988 in West Virginia:

“I appreciate you, counselor. It may not seem like it, but you helped me to center myself. And I was simply trying to thank you and tell you that it’s apparent that you are a light in a very dark place for a lot of people.”

“Thank you for talking to me and taking time out of your day to speak to me. I hope you have an amazing rest of your week, and you’re the reason why many people are still here today.”

“Thank you, counselor. You probably hear this a lot, but you really helped me feel better about everything. I feel so much better. And it’s like I finally was able to let some stuff off my chest, you were a really big help with everything.”

“You really saved my life tonight; you are constantly saving lives and I honor you for that. I’m glad you saved mine.”

“If I need you guys ever again, I know where to find you. Go save more people, it must take a lot of strength to do what you do. Then again, I thank you.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of harming themselves or others, they can text or call 988 at any time for help.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Texts Increase In First Year Of 988

The new three-digit national crisis line took five million calls in its first year of operation. Federal officials say that is up 35 percent compared to the old 10-digit line.

The goal of 988 is to connect people in crisis with someone in their community who can point them to local resources if needed.

The new three-digit national crisis line took five million calls in its first year of operation. Federal officials say that is up 35 percent compared to the old 10-digit line.

One year ago, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline became 988, an easy-to-remember lifeline created to help people dealing with depression, substance use and suicidal ideation, and get more immediate help and be guided to additional resources.

Officials report, one year in, texts to the lifeline increased and average wait times fell to 41 seconds.

In 2022, West Virginia lawmakers passed Senate Bill 181 with a commitment from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) to fund the call center.

According to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a survey found that 38 percent of West Virginians reported symptoms of anxiety or a depressive disorder during the two-week surveyed time, compared to 32.2 percent of adults in the U.S.

According to KFF’s analysis of the CDC’s Multiple Cause of Death 2011 to 2021 report, suicide deaths have increased fastest among people of color, younger individuals and people who live in rural areas.

West Virginia’s age-adjusted suicide rate was higher than the national average in 2021 with 20.6 per 100,000 people.

Across the country, some states have struggled to staff their call centers. This is not the case in West Virginia, as First Choice Services, the nonprofit organization that operates 988 and other health helplines in West Virginia had only seven job openings at the time this story was published.

Jeremy Smith, director of outreach at First Choice Services, said his organization has seen an influx of people reaching out since the switch to 988, which he credits in part to the new tagline for the service.

“With the rollout of 988, I think people started understanding that maybe they don’t actually have to be suicidal at that point,” Smith said. “They might just be dealing with a crisis and severe emotional distress and need somebody to talk to. And by opening up, you know, and adding the word crisis, I think it made it more clear to everybody that this is also a resource for people that just need to talk to somebody.”

Smith said 988 is easier to remember for people and credits simplicity with increased calls and texts.

“Obviously, by switching to 988, it made the number easier to remember for folks, just like we have 911,” Smith said. “Everybody knows what 911 is. They know you can call it for an emergency. 988 just fits right in with that.”

According to Smith, they have seen an increase in the number of people under the age of 24 using the service, specifically the texting line.

“It definitely seems to trend that more and more younger people are using the service, especially if they’re under the age of 34,” Smith said. “So it definitely seems like younger people are more comfortable using the program.”

The lines give people the option to talk to someone who will not judge them about what is going on in their lives and receive guidance for healthy coping mechanisms.

“We really try to hit all the different angles in our training and our specialization so that when somebody calls, we do have some skills that we can use and talk to them about whatever they might be going through,” Smith said.

In the last year, 988 has answered more than 665,000 texts, a 1,135 percent increase from the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline the year before 988 went live. The 10-digit line only added text in 2020.

“On average, one person died by suicide every 22 hours in this state, according to the last known facts that we had from 2020. It’s the second leading cause of death for kids age 10 to 34,” Smith said.

Only 18 percent of adults in the U.S. are aware of 988, according to a survey released in May by Pew Charitable Trusts.

“In addition to the phone calls, people can text, text and chat as well, and we want to make sure people know about that option. Especially with the younger generation, it seems like they’re a little bit more comfortable communicating in that method,” Smith said. “And so those come in right here to us, and we’re going to give those the same level of care that we do with phone calls.”

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.