988 mental-health crisis hotline reaching more Ohio communities

Nadia Ramlagan

More households, workplaces and schools are struggling with mental-health crises, and a new report by the advocacy group Inseparable highlights how Ohio is handling 988 crisis hotline calls and responses. Congress passed legislation in 2020 establishing 988 as a nationwide three-digit number to access mental-health crisis resources, and the number went live in 2022.

Tonya Fulwider, executive director with Mental Health America of Ohio, said Ohio's call-center response rate is 90%, but added the state could make policy changes to continue strengthening its crisis infrastructure.

"We have to continue to prioritize a multidisciplinary approach, where we're bringing out a qualified clinician, a qualified peer, either in addition to or instead of a law-enforcement response," she explained.

According to reporting by the health-care organization KFF, Ohio's age-adjusted suicide rate was higher than the national level in 2021. Suicide deaths have increased fastest among people of color, younger individuals, and people who live in rural areas.

Angela Kimball, chief advocacy officer with Inseparable, said states can build strong crisis response systems, but will need to look beyond Medicaid for funding. She added state legislators can take steps to bolster services, noting the consequences of not addressing the issue will result in people going without help, landing in jail and E.R.s, being hospitalized or worse.

"One in five fatal police shootings involve someone with mental illness," she said. "So, too often we see really a tragic outcome when people don't get the right help at a less severe level, we see a lot of people who end up in crowded emergency departments."

The report said additional funding opportunities could come from a 988 telecom surcharge to support crisis lines, which has already been implemented in a handful of states, utilizing a federal program under the American Rescue Plan that allows states to receive extra funding for mobile response services for three years.