A new national hot line will be equipped to help those who are in mental health crises. | Canva
A new national hot line will be equipped to help those who are in mental health crises. | Canva
Sparked by a wave of suicide deaths that the traditional 911 emergency line is not equipped to deal with, Ohio will begin using 988, an alternative to 911 that people can call in the event of a mental-health crisis.
"People are dying at a rapid pace, and people are being touched by that in all spectrums of life," said Yaves Ellis, an expert on the mental health crises in the state, according to CBS 10.
Ellis, the lead pastor of New Birth Christian Ministries, has been helping people navigate and deal with trauma in their lives for years. He has been sharing resources for people that are going through a mental-health crisis, and said he soon will direct people he works with to the new hot line so they can get the help they need for the specific crisis they are going through, according to CBS 10.
The national hot line 988 will begin operating on July 16.
Sue Villilo, vice president of the Alcohol, Drugs and Mental Health Board of Franklin County, said, "When someone is in a crisis, it's very hard to think of the right number to call or who you have to look for or to look something up. That's hard."
The creation of the hot line has the support of legislators in the state.
"We are looking at the next General Assembly then to be able to make decisions about continuous funding based on reports back from the committee," Rep. Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater) said, according to CBS 10.
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