COLUMBUS, Ohio — Over the past two years, thousands of Ohioans have taken advantage of the state's 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline.
Governor Mike DeWine’s Office says the suicide prevention line has answered nearly 340,000 calls, texts, and chats since it debuted in the summer of 2020. But, there is no permanent funding for the line. That's something a state lawmaker is trying to change.
State Representative Gail Pavliga for years has continued to be an advocate for mental health. She is a mental health provider, and says mental health issues should be treated like physical ones. Pavliga says we support physical problems, and we should continue to bring that support to mental health.
"If you will become ill, you can go into an emergency room," Pavliga said. "You can see a rapid response. But where does someone go when they really do need mental health help? Maybe they are contemplating suicide?"
One resource Ohioans have been able to take advantage of is the state’s 988 suicide and crisis lifeline. It's a a program that just passed its two year anniversary this week. But, it's also one that lacks permanent funding, and Pavliga aims to change that outcome.
"My goal is that this particular program is never affected by the whims of political drifts," Pavliga said. "We are just continuing to take a look at what we need to do to serve the people of Ohio, to save lives, and to get people to help that they need."
Ohio used federal money to establish 19 call centers across the Buckeye state. They even secured funding in the fiscal budget from Gov. Mike Dewine and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. They got $20.7 million from the general assembly in the first year, and $25.8 million in its second year.
“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," DeWine said. "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.”
However, after the dollars run-out nothing is set in stone for the hotline.
"We would say that sustainable funding," said Laura Evans, the assistant vice president of public policy and government affairs at Vibrant Emotional Health. "No matter who is in the governorship, or what party's in office, this is important."
Vibrant Emotional Health is the administrator for all of the 988 suicide and crisis lifelines across the country.
"The federal legislation did allow states to enact a fee similar to how 911 is funded," Evans said. "So, that there's ongoing continuous resources. Ten states thus far have enacted such a fee."
Ohio is not one of the states with the fee. Pavliga and her colleagues are proposing other ideas which include one that would use revenue that the state gets from recreational marijuana to fund the hotline. But so far, the House and Senate haven’t agreed upon a plan, leaving the future of the program up in the air. On a national scale, Evans says mental health is not a political issue and supports the idea of more funding to the local Ohio 988 suicide prevention hotline.
"We do need to ensure that that that funding continues in a sustainable year over year," Evans said. "And, not subjected to what may be changes in state receipts because mental well-being is so important to everyone, not depending on what side of the aisle you're on."