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July 9, 2024 |  By: Deborah Van Fleet - Public News Service

Report: NE crisis response system needs bolstering

depression

By Deborah Van Fleet - Public News Service

A new report gives Nebraska a positive review for its operation of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline but identifies shortcomings in two crucial areas.

The mental health advocacy group Inseparable rated all 50 states on the three-part model of response. The 988 call centers address the first part, "someone to talk to." On parts two and three, "someone to respond" and "a safe place for help," Nebraska comes up short, according to the report.

Grace Manley, Nebraska area director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, agreed with the assessment, especially when it comes to rural Nebraska.

"A lot of people out in rural Nebraska have to drive two to five hours -- and even more in some places -- to get to a hospital that can really serve them in a mental health crisis," Manley pointed out. "The need is massive."

Inseparable's report stated Nebraska needs 18 more mobile response teams and a combination of nearly 200 more short and long-term "beds" for people needing inpatient care. Manley argued the Legislature needs to understand this disproportionately affects rural Nebraska, where "people are at a loss when it comes to resources."

Angela Kimball, chief advocacy officer for the mental health advocacy organization Inseparable, said too often there are tragic outcomes when people do not get the right help, including the one in five police shootings which involve someone having a mental health crisis. She argued the states implementing mobile crisis response teams and crisis stabilization services have proved the right response works.

"We can avoid the expense, the trauma of emergency departments, of jails, of law enforcement involvement," Kimball contended. "And really give people help when they need it most."

Manley emphasized a common misperception is the 988 system uses "geolocation," which is a capacity the system does not have.

"When someone calls 988, they can stay as anonymous as they would like and they do not have to reveal their location," Manley stressed. "You do not have to fear police showing up at your door or something like that, like would happen with 911. So feel free to call 988. You are safe to stay anonymous."

Inseparable said 988 centers should be answering 90% of calls received in-state. In May, Nebraska answered 87% of 2,300 calls, and 988 centers nationwide answered 88% of nearly 388,000 calls.