Ohio’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Has Responded To Nearly 340,000 Contacts in Two Years

Two years after its debut, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a proven safety net for thousands of Ohioans each month who face emotional distress or thoughts of suicide.

“988 is saving lives,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “The lifeline is providing free, around-the-clock support to Ohioans in crisis by connecting them with someone to talk to for help at the moment it’s needed most. I am proud of the impact 988 has made in two short years and we fully intend to continue building on that momentum moving forward.”

Since its launch on July 16, 2022, the service has grown steadily. In that time, Ohio’s 19 call centers – the most of any state in the nation – have responded to nearly 340,000 calls, texts, and chats: an average of more than 14,000 contacts each month.

Ohio 988’s average speed-to-answer rate is 25 seconds, compared to 36 seconds nationally, and since its launch, the average amount of calls rolling over to the national 988 network is just 2%, reflecting a workforce capacity that allows the vast majority of calls from Ohioans to be answered in-state, by individuals with knowledge of local resources that can make a difference in a crisis.

Anyone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis – or their family members – can call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to reach a trained specialist who can offer assistance.

Reasons to call 988 include, but are not limited to: thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, financial and relationship struggles, and any other kinds of serious emotional distress.

“988 is confidential and functions as a crucial gateway to crisis support within our communities,” said Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director LeeAnne Cornyn. “Our hope is that reaching out to 988 in a behavioral health crisis becomes as natural to Ohioans as dialing 911 in other types of emergencies.”

Slightly more than one-third of Ohioans (36%) currently express familiarity with the service, compared to just 17% nationally. To further boost visibility of the service, OhioMHAS launched a statewide, multimedia awareness campaign in May. This effort included the introduction of the Ohio988 Materials Generator, which allows anyone in Ohio – including schools, local governments, faith-based organizations, neighborhood groups, emergency response agencies, and individuals – to create customized posters, videos, social media posts, and more materials promoting the service and how it can help people.

Communities and organizations throughout Ohio are conducting additional efforts to help promote visibility and awareness of 988. Some examples include:

• The Huron County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services has collaborated with six law enforcement agencies in the county – the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, Norwalk Police Department, Williard Police Department, Wakeman Police Department, New London Police Department, and Greenwich Police Department, as well as the Huron County Department of Job and Family Services and the Huron County EMA – to add 988 decals to their vehicles. To date, 79 decals have been purchased by the board and have been added to the vehicles.
• The City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities designed and installed more than a dozen signs promoting 988 at strategic public access locations throughout the city – including the Hoover and O’Shaughnessy dams where incidents of suicide have occurred over the past decade. The department also hosted two crisis intervention trainings for its water protection specialist (Ranger) staff, so they are better equipped to offer resources and support to reservoir visitors who may be experiencing a mental health crisis.
• This past May, Heidelberg University rented three billboards in Seneca County near their campus to boost awareness of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline among students and their families. The billboards were strategically placed so that students and their families would see them when they are traveling to and from campus. The current billboards will remain in place through August, and then two new billboards will be created that will remain in place through December. University officials say plans are underway to create new billboard messages that will run from January through June 2025.
• In the Mahoning Valley, Help Network of Northeast Ohio (which responds to 988 calls from Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, and Ashtabula counties) unveiled a Western Reserve Transit Authority bus featuring an 18.5-foot-by-8-foot “Hope in Motion” banner publicizing the 988 Lifeline. The Mahoning County Mental Health & Recovery Board, meanwhile, has partnered with Mahoning County Public Health, Direction Home of Eastern Ohio (formerly the Area Agency on Aging 11), and the Mahoning County LOSS Team to share suicide prevention resources targeting older adults, including 988 informational flyers distributed with food provided through the Meals on Wheels program.

Above photos available for download here.

As 988 enters its third year of service, state mental health leaders are encouraging even more local communities and organizations to get involved.

“Any person or organization that puts effort toward building awareness about 988 is helping save lives,” said Doug Jackson, Ohio’s 988 Administrator. “The life you save may be a friend, a loved one, or someone in your community. You may never know that you helped to save that life, but together, we can be certain that we are offering hope to those that need to talk to someone.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 or visit 988Lifeline.org for 24/7, confidential support.

You can also learn more at mha.ohio.gov/988.