Calls to crisis line go up in Sedgwick County following 988 rollout

Calls routed to Sedgwick County’s crisis center via national suicide hotlines went up nearly 30% percent during the first month of the new 988 hotline. In mid-July, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Line replaced the 10-digit national suicide prevention lifeline around the U.S. The goal of the new number is to provide a crisis line for mental health emergencies similar to 911. Calls to the 988 hotline are routed to local crisis centers, like Sedgwick County’s. In 2022, the center received 273 calls via the new hotline between July 16 and August 21. The prior year, the center received 211 calls from the old suicide hotline during the same time period.
Source: Wichita Eagle