In a mental health crisis, a conversation with an empathetic listener can be live-saving. But when someone needs in-person help, there's a shortage of resources in many parts of the country.
With calls expected to increase more as people learn about the helpline, some call centers say there are limits to what they can accomplish without more local resources.
When he does talk, he usually asks questions — gently searching for specific ways to help. In this case, his questions lead him to connect the caller with local domestic abuse services and a social worker. What happens next is surprisingly common. At the start of the call it seemed like the woman wanted help for her partner. But when he asks her directly on a scale of one to five how suicidal she is, she says she's a two or maybe a three — and she's attempted suicide before.
But that's not the case everywhere. In Hanover, a small town a few hours west, the 988 call center doesn't have that option. "Sometimes those resources are other counseling services, and they don't have capacity," Herr McCann says."People are calling, and providers are six weeks out if they're lucky. That's not any good."
The Biden administration has dedicated $432 million toward building the capacity of local and backup call centers and providing associated services. But the expectation is that states will come up with the main funding streams.
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