New suicide prevention call center opens

September 01, 2020 11:41 AM | Deleted user

September 17, Wisconsin Health News

A new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call center recently opened in Wisconsin. 

Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin will manage the new center, known as the Wisconsin Lifeline, under a $2 million grant from the Department of Health Services. It’s part of Wisconsin’s share of the federal Community Mental Health Services Block Grant. 

The center will accept calls originating from communities not covered by one of the four existing Wisconsin-based centers that are part of the national lifeline’s network.

“Adding capacity to handle Wisconsin calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is part of our ongoing effort to ensure the right supports are available at the right time for people in emotional distress,” DHS Secretary-designee Andrea Palm said in a Wednesday statement. “It’s about offering hope and promoting healing.” 

The new center began answering calls in August. During its first week, the percent of Wisconsin calls to the lifeline answered in-state increased to 85 percent, above the national benchmark of 70 percent. Before its launch, the in-state answer rate was at 30 percent due to the large volume of calls coming from areas outside of the four locally funded call centers’ responsibility. 

The new center will also position Wisconsin well to handle a predicted surge in calls when the 10-digit nationwide helpline number switches to 988 in July 2022, DHS noted.