A few weeks ago NPR did a story about 988 that featured Kim Williams, CEO of Vibrant Emotional Health, MHANYS affiliate in NYC.
It is clear that 988 has been very successful in its first several months of implementation. In the first five months of implementation, there have been 1.7 million calls and texts—double what it was the previous year in the same time frame. Also significantly, wait time has gone from 3 minutes in 2021 to 36 seconds in those first several months.
This is great news but it was also clear in the story that what would make the system even more responsive is having a behavioral health workforce available post 988 engagement. We will be tracking 988 funding in tomorrow’s budget.
Glenn Liebman
he/him/his
CEO, MHANYS
(518) 434-0439 | MHANYS.org
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