988 suicide hotline now up and running
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The suicide prevention hotline launched Saturday, and you can now dial 988 for mental health assistance.
Siquilla Liebetrau, the vice president of clinical services for the Bowen Center, said 988 is the mental health equivalent to 911.
The hotline is designed for mental health support, those who struggle with addiction recovery, and people who experienced suicidal thoughts.
The Centers for Disease Control said suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in Indiana and is the second leading cause for Hoosiers between the ages of 10 and 34.
Liebetrau said, “In 2020, every 11 minutes there was a death by suicide. It’s crucial we open the conversation up to people who are struggling with suicidal thoughts.”
“You won’t plant a seed in someone’s mind just by asking them. In fact, the research really shows us that we should ask,” Liebetrau said. “By asking somebody if they want to kill themselves, or if any part of them has that internal conflict that they don’t want to die but it seems like the only way I can make this emotional pain go away. By asking them you’re opening the door for them to say, ‘Gosh, you feel comfortable talking about that. That’s going to make me feel safe and comfortable to talk about it.”
The Bowen Center, Indiana’s largest mental health center, serves children as young as 6-years-old that struggle with suicide.
The 988 hotline also will have a text option for people that aren’t comfortable over the phone speakers.
The plan is for 988 to include resources such as increased number of mobile crisis teams, in-person services, and facilities where people can go for help.
Mental health resources
- Be Well Indiana
- Indiana Suicide Prevention
- Indiana Department of Child Services’ Children’s Mental Health Initiative
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
- More resources