Gov. Tony Evers announced a $17 million grant for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Oct. 18. According to Evers’ press The funding is intended to improve the functioning of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, according to a press release from the Governor’s Office.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a service provided by the Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, a non-profit human service agency operating in Green Bay with funding from the DHS. It was first made available to the state in July 2022 and operates 24 hours a day, every day. Accessible through phone calls, texts and chats, the lifeline connects callers to one of 49 certified counselors with the intention to de-escalate mental health situations, provide coping techniques for future use and offer connections to local referrals.
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The overall mission of the service is to provide support for anyone who is experiencing a crisis and is in need of counseling, according to the lifeline’s website. It is not only for those with suicidal ideation, but for anyone — regardless of age or background.
Crisis Services Coordinator Caroline Crehan Neumann, who has worked for the DHS for approximately seven years, said the lifeline is intended to help anyone dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues. Those dealing with crisis situations of any kind are encouraged to call.
“People will say and think that the service isn’t for them because they’re not feeling suicidal, but what we know from the data is only 25% to 30% of callers express some type of suicidal ideation,” Neumann said. “The other 70% are calling for challenges completely unrelated to suicidal thought. So, I will often say that the service is really just meant for any type of human problem we’re having. We really want people to know that this is far beyond just being a need for a service for suicidal thoughts or actions.”
Since its establishment, the lifeline has proven to be a beneficial resource for Wisconsinites to address callers’ mental health needs. According to Governor’s Office press release, the lifeline has received 91,860 calls, 15,442 texts and 12,483 chats as of September 2023. But the lifeline has still faced its challenges. The number of people who contacted the service in the past year exceeded original projections. This highlights a need to increase the number of staff that are well-equipped to handle these sensitive issues.
A study conducted by Mental Health America ranked Wisconsin as the number one state for accessibility to mental health care. But those who are in need of urgent help still face the obstacle of navigating a complex mental healthcare system.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention volunteer and former Board ember Beverly Goldberg said mental health issues should be treated with the same level of attention as physical health issues. For young people, Goldberg said, this issue is even more pertinent.
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the ages of students, which is a big number,” Goldberg said. “I think that there is so much transition in college, and there’s not enough resources on college campuses.”
While the lifeline is not specifically designed for college students, but instead as a more general support tool, it could become an increasingly important resource for them. According to research from Boston University, the rate of mental health problems of students has steadily increased in recent years.
Neumann said she hopes this lifeline will address the lack of access to care, even if it is currently unable to satisfy the needs of all Wisconsin residents.
“I will often say that this service is still in its infancy, and there are a lot of things that we are working to figure out,” Neumann said. “[We’re] just learning how to grow a service very quickly to meet this need and demand that has been void for decades and centuries. We’re just at the beginning, and being at the beginning of something has its own unique challenges.”
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Evers’ grant will be dedicated to improving several functions of the lifeline. According to Neumann, the bulk of this money will be devoted directly toward the service providers. These providers would utilize this money to hire additional counselors, supervisors and outreach managers. By increasing the number of staff on hand, the service will be able to account for the high volume of calls, texts and chats.
Besides increasing staff, Neumann said grant money will be utilized in the marketing and messaging process with the specific goal of reaching audiences that may be at higher risk for suicidal thought and action. Lastly, this grant money will be used to enhance the data collection methods. With more accurate data, the service will have a better idea of what areas need improvement and how to further support the providers.
Ultimately, Neumann hopes increased visibility for the lifeline will make it a more accessible resource for people all over Wisconsin.
“In the next few years, we’re just hoping to push the message out and to continue to support the 988 Wisconsin Lifeline, which is the provider here in Wisconsin, so that they can provide the service that we really do need,” Neumann said.
Resources regarding suicide prevention and mental health:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/loss-survivors/
- Crisis Text line: Text HOME to 741741 https://www.crisistextline.org/
- Survivors of Suicide (SOS) support group: https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/prevention/suicide-prevention/
- Trevor Lifeline: https://www.crisistextline.org/ crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25
- 24/7 crisis support 608-265-5600 (option 9)
