FARGO (KFGO) – In July of 2022, North Dakota’s suicide prevention hotline transitioned from an eleven-digit 1-800 number to 988, and with the change came what FirstLink officials say was a “dramatic” increase in calls.
Jeremy Brown is Outreach Director at FirstLink, 988’s in-state service provider which serves all of North Dakota and parts of western Minnesota including Clay County. Brown said in 2022, FirstLink answered 19,657 contacts directly related to suicide – a 52% increase from 2020. He said besides the ease of remembering the simple three-digit code, the hotline was also rebranded to include “crisis” in its title, welcoming a larger population of people in need.
In December, FirstLink added chat and text functionality which Brown said also led to increased contacts, particularly with young people.
“They are reaching out to us during the day when chat and text is the only way they can reach us because they’re in school and they’re having a crisis in the hallway or in the bathroom and need to talk to somebody. In the evening hours, we’re also seeing that increase – maybe they have parents around who they’re not ready to talk to about it or they’re worried about siblings overhearing them talking on the phone. We’re definitely seeing the younger population reach out to us, especially over chat and text,” Brown said.
Brown said despite the major increase in call volume in 2022, nearly 90% of the contacts were still answered by in-state counselors and less than 1% needed emergency responder intervention.
“We have that local perspective. We understand bad winters and rural communities. We know what resources are available for folks, depending on where they’re at in the state. And our hold time is really low – people aren’t waiting in queues or getting passed around to a backup center where they’re listening to hold music for 20 minutes while they’re in a crisis,” he said.
Brown said with the increased volume, FirstLink’s staffing, technology, and infrastructure costs are also rising. This week, the North Dakota House of Representatives will consider adding $2 million to the Human Services budget to support 988’s growing needs.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988.
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