No. 988 replaces the National Suicide Hotline and makes it easy to remember how to get help if you or someone you love is having a mental health problem.

This national 24/7 phone number will launch in July 2022 and connect people directly to mental health professionals. A crisis may include thoughts of suicide, a mental health or substance use crisis, or other types of emotional distress.

Don’t try to figure out if things are bad enough. Call or text us if you have any concerns.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports:

• In 2020 alone, one person commits suicide in the US approximately every 11 minutes.

• Suicide is the leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 34,

• Over 100,000 people died from drug overdoses between April 2020 and 2021.

Sadly I remember the day someone committed suicide in our treatment center and our only option was to call the police. He was taken to a patrol car and transferred to the Crisis Management Center.

I knew I was saving the person’s life in that moment, but the process did not foster dignity and respect.It reinforced the shame and stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders. In many cases, with the help of police officers, we would meet at the back door of an alley so that we wouldn’t have to humiliate ourselves by walking through the reception area in handcuffs.

Today, we understand more about substance use disorders and other mental health issues. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) is working with multiple partners across the state and across the country to provide immediate access to assistance during mental health crises in Oklahoma through a comprehensive crisis We are building a continuum of correspondences.

With 988, an estimated 80% of callers experience crisis resolution by talking to a mental health professional. If necessary, if the crisis is not resolved over the phone, the call center will dispatch a statewide mobile crisis management team for further evaluation and intervention.

At this point, approximately 70% of these critical situations are resolved. A mental health professional will schedule a follow-up appointment for the same or next day at your local mental and behavioral health center.

All law enforcement officers have 24/7 access to licensed behavioral health professionals to help assess, evaluate, and connect to treatment. In Oklahoma, police officers make more than 20,000 trips a year to assist those in need of mental health emergency services. This model allows private companies to provide transportation to crisis centers when they are more than 30 miles away.

More than 1,200 police officers were trained in Oklahoma on the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), a 40-hour training course for police officers sponsored by ODMHSAS with the support of the National Mental Health Alliance. CIT is an intensive mental health training that incorporates scenarios based on real-life mental health service requests.

According to the City of Norman, the department currently has 53 CIT-trained officers, eight communications officers, one fire inspector, and one district court official.

Together, we can help more people get the help they need. lives are saved. Let people know that asking for help is not something to be ashamed of and that support is available 24/7.

For more information, visit samhsa.gov/find-help/988 or bit.ly/3ChxlAk.

MHR’s Teresa Collado is Executive Director of The Virtue Center. The Virtue Center is a United Way of Norman partner agency and is funded in part by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Their mission is to be a place of help and hope for those facing addiction and mental health issues. For more information, please call 405-321-0022 or visit thevirtuecenter.org.