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Introduction and operation of 988 mental health crisis hotline
1:11:37
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3 min
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The discussion turns to the recently introduced 988 mental health crisis hotline. Jamie Neckles from DOHMH explains the purpose of 988 and how it operates in conjunction with other emergency services.
- 988 is designed for non-emergency mental health support and can provide extended counseling
- Crisis counselors at 988 are trained in available city services and can connect callers to appropriate resources
- 988 can dispatch mobile crisis teams for in-person response within a few hours if needed
Jamie Neckles
1:11:37
Can I add to this?
1:11:37
Because I get this question a lot in the mental health context.
1:11:41
If you need police, fire, or EMS, Call 911.
1:11:45
If you're not sure, call 988, and the crisis counselors can spend time on the phone with you.
1:11:51
That's their job is to listen and spend as long as you need to figure out what makes sense next.
1:11:58
So we do not expect anybody to be expert in all of the acronyms that I just went through.
1:12:02
That's unreasonable.
1:12:04
And once we become expert in them, there'll be new acronyms.
1:12:06
Right?
1:12:06
There's no point in the public learning them.
1:12:08
I think the focus is, if you're not sure, call 988, and they can help you figure out what makes sense next.
Linda Lee
1:12:14
Okay.
1:12:15
And I think my big issue there is that I think still a lot of folks are not aware of 988 and the fact that that exists.
1:12:22
And then and and I know that the state, from what I've heard, is planning on putting more resources into expanding the outreach for 988, but I guess my question though is if I call 988 then, how is that going to connect to all the different other services?
1:12:39
If you could go through that and walk us through that a little bit too.
Jamie Neckles
1:12:43
Sure.
1:12:44
I can do that right now.
1:12:45
And so the the 98 promotion campaign started this month across New York State.
1:12:49
So I hope many of you will be seeing those those ads 90 day counselors are trained in the services that are available across our city, which changes.
1:12:59
Right?
1:12:59
So we're always they're always incorporating new information.
1:13:03
They assess callers, right, form a bit of a relationship in a very small period of time.
1:13:09
And can connect can provide in the moment, immediate coping skills, and deescalation on the phone.
1:13:17
For many people, that call is sufficient for most callers.
1:13:21
In fact, The the telephonic intervention or text exchange or online chat is sufficient, and it and they resolve the the whatever it is, the emotional distress that they're experiencing comes to some resolution, and then there's agreed upon the next steps.
1:13:34
Whatever that is.
1:13:35
That might be going out and taking a walk.
1:13:36
Right?
1:13:37
It may be something much more acute depending on the person's situation.
1:13:40
And so they will deescalate on the phone, assess, provide coping skills.
1:13:45
Sometimes, the person may need more.
1:13:48
They will connect people, but they will they will dispatch mobile crisis teams to respond in person within a few hours.
1:13:54
Okay.
1:13:55
So they're doing that thousands of times a year.
1:13:57
Yeah.
Linda Lee
1:13:58
And I think you just answered my question because if it's the if it's the reverse situation where they do call 988 and it actually does turn out that there needs to be some more serious responses than do they connect and do they know how to, you know, bring things to either 911 or EMS.
Jamie Neckles
1:14:14
Yes.
1:14:15
Okay.
Linda Lee
1:14:15
I just wanna make sure.
1:14:16
Yes.
1:14:17
And then for be heard, I know you said for mental health, they get a 1 day training.
1:14:22
Is there any more
Bracha Rutner
1:14:23
that they
Linda Lee
1:14:24
get for the 911 dispatchers?
1:14:26
Because I feel like it's just They're
Ebony Washington
1:14:28
providing with different scenarios.
1:14:30
Yeah.
1:14:30
Right?
1:14:30
Essentially, when you call 911, you're asked, do you need police fire or medical?
1:14:36
Right?
1:14:36
And then we're gonna ask, what's your location so we can verify where you are?
1:14:41
And then the caller will go into what the emergency is and what needed.
1:14:45
If it's someone experiencing a mental health crisis, we will get the gist of what's going on and always connect to EMS.
Linda Lee
1:14:57
Because I know in a lot of other, you know, fields that are out there.
1:15:02
You know, if I wanted to keep my social work license, I would have to do continuing education credits.
1:15:07
Right?
1:15:07
So I'm assuming that there's also a refresher Yes.
1:15:10
Sure.
Ebony Washington
1:15:11
So about 6 to 8 weeks we provide in service training with any updates to any procedures or any new policies that may be going on.
Gale Brewer
1:15:20
Okay.
Ebony Washington
1:15:20
But our operators are not medical professionals.
Alison Wilkey
1:15:24
Right.
Ebony Washington
1:15:24
They're just provided with the type of calls we may encounter.