911 and 988 have a similar mission: help people out of crisis and into long-term health. In this guide, we’ll discuss integrating 911 and 988 crisis response and how this partnership can transform our approach to behavioral health emergencies.
Integrating 911 and 988 means that each helpline has some overlap with the other. We all know what 911 does, but some people may not be familiar with the mental health hotline, 988 (which we’ll discuss further). The overall goal of bringing 911 and 988 together is a better response to mental health crises, more integration with crisis response teams, and getting people plugged into definitive psychiatric help.
Both 911 and 988 can help each other. In nature, we would say that there’s an opportunity for a symbiotic relationship.
How Integrating 911 and 988 Helps the Community
911 has been around for a long time now, and pretty much everyone everywhere knows that dialing 911 means: you have an emergency and need help. There are a few exceptionally rural parts of the USA that still struggle with a unified 911 response. Still, for the most part, states have established an emergency response system – even if it sometimes takes a while for help to arrive.
Now consider 988, a relatively new concept that has gained popularity. What is the 988 number for? 988 is a helpline for people struggling with mental health issues, drug or substance-related problems, suicidal ideations, or any other psychological-related issue (grief, anxiety, etc.). The idea behind 988 is to provide people who need more social or psychiatric help with a place to turn.
How integrating 988 and 911 can change communities for the better:
- Creating a Better Response to Mental Health
- Creating a Swinging Door Between 911 and 988
- Using 988 for Crisis Response Teams
- Creating Better Long-Term Care
- Making People Aware of 988 (Reducing Unnecessary 911 Calls)
Below, we’ll go over more details.
Note: This article is not intended to provide a comprehensive overview of 988 and its services. We will give you the general overview, but for those who are new to the idea of 988, take some time to review their website to see what they offer and the multiple ways they are already making a difference. This article is not intended to provide a “fix” for either 911 or 988; rather, we aim to demonstrate how they can work effectively together.
Bringing 911 and 988 Together: Creating a Better Response for Mental Health and Suicidal Thoughts
988 is part of the movement to combat stigma around mental health. Often, people are encouraged to reach out for help when they are struggling, but the next question is: Where? 988 is the answer.
Of course, there are many resources available for people with mental health struggles, but the problem is that they are often scattered, making it difficult for people to know where to start. That’s what 988 does. Their platform allows people to call or use live chat, and they have a trained professional guide them through a series of steps, much like a 911 dispatcher.
First, the 988 counselors will introduce themselves, then they will try to determine if the person is safe. If there is any risk to the person’s safety, 911 will be activated to get people there as soon as possible. What would unsafe look like? It could be that someone is having severe suicidal ideations, or that they are calling during an incident (or after) that involved violence or assault. In these cases, the counselors recognize the need for a physical intervention.
However, if the person calling 988 is in no immediate danger, the counselor will take some time to talk with them, listen to their needs, and allow them to discuss their situation.
After the person has had a chance to discuss their issue, the counselor will often provide them with some helpful referrals (if needed). This could mean providing the person with an alternative number for in-person counseling, or it might involve connecting them with long-term mental health care or rehabilitation.
Now that you know a little bit about how 988 works, let’s talk about how 911 comes into the fold.
Integrating 988 with 911: Creating a Swinging Two-Way Door Between 911 and 988
To understand how 911 and 988 can benefit from a closer relationship, let’s look at some of the inherent limitations of each program.
With 911, you’re limited by the resources available. As hard as it is to say, 911 services by themselves don’t have the resources to be available for those with complex mental health challenges. 911 will undoubtedly respond to mental health calls, but it’s typically on an emergency-only basis.
988 is a little different. Since they are not dependent on responders in the field, their motto leans more toward “any issue, any time.” In this way, 911 EMS agencies and fire departments can inform their community members about 988, providing them with the opportunity to access more immediate help for their mental and emotional needs.
The limitations of 988 are more closely related to transitioning from the virtual to the physical. The danger is that someone reaches out to 988 first when they probably should have just called 911 immediately. For example, if someone has been calling 988 regularly for several months, they may be more likely to call 988 for an emergency. Now, this is no fault of 988, but it does represent a conundrum.
Even though 988 will contact 911, there could be an unnecessary delay due to the information being passed through a game of telephone. Suppose 988 and 911 can form closer relationships, where even 988 counselors could initiate the first call for an emergency response before transferring it to a dispatcher. In that case, we might be able to reduce the critical minutes during an emergency.
Of course, how this all works logistically is complicated. However, it’s the complex aspects that are worth working through, because if 988 and 911 could form a closer relationship, people’s lives could be drastically improved.
Using 988 for Crisis Response Teams
Crisis Response Teams have typically been closely aligned with 911, as they often work with police and EMS departments to form a team that responds to people in their homes (or wherever they may need help).
The mission of the crisis response team is somewhat more related to improving the relationship between law enforcement and the community. The overall goal of Crisis Response Teams is to reduce the tension of a given mental or behavioral situation (de-escalation) and to help prevent arrests of those experiencing a crisis.
As you can see, 988 and Crisis Response Teams are not far off in their goals. If 988 could form closer ties with area Crisis Response Units, this would go a long way toward ensuring that people have access to the help they need.
Those who are more familiar with 988 could be made aware of a community resource that will visit them in their time of need, and those who may be enrolled in a Crisis Response/Mobile Integrated Health Program can be made aware of a number (988) they can call if they want to talk with someone.
Creating Better Long-Term Care for People with Mental Health Illness
The overall goal of combining 911 and 988 is to provide better long-term mental healthcare for the increasing number of people who need it. Long-term is the key. There are some excellent services available, but if they don’t offer a program that continues to provide people with the support they’re looking for, they will struggle to achieve success.
By integrating 911 and 988, and even working to cross-train 911 dispatchers and 988 counselors, you provide the best of both worlds to the people who desperately need it.
Making People Aware of 988, Who May Only Know About 911
Another reason integrating 911 and 988 crisis response is so important relates to education. Remember, earlier in this article, we discussed how people become familiar with 988 or 911. Well, the overall goal is for people to become familiar with both 988 and 911 and have a good idea about which one is best to call.
You don’t want people who need 911 to call 988, and you also don’t want people who just need 988 to call 911 for everything. Indeed, raising awareness and education in the community about what these two numbers represent is essential.
Conclusion: How 988 and 911 Can Team Up for Better Mental Healthcare Delivery
Integrating 911 and 988 crisis response together has benefits, and educating people about their uses is essential. But you know what’s usually more effective than education? Engineering. By that, we mean building something that protects people.
For example, you could tell people not to drive off the road, or you could build a guardrail. Both are important, but typically the guardrail is a more reliable solution. The same applies to 911 and 988. Yes, we need to educate people, but we also need to integrate the two numbers so that it genuinely doesn’t matter which one people call – they will always receive the help they need.
Contact Julota to learn more about how their software platforms can help your community get better at integrating 911 and 988 crisis response.