{"id":3644,"date":"2021-05-13T09:57:35","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T16:57:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/orwall\/?p=3644"},"modified":"2025-04-21T10:00:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T17:00:15","slug":"988-lifeline-for-suicide-prevention-and-crisis-response-signed-into-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/orwall\/2021\/05\/13\/988-lifeline-for-suicide-prevention-and-crisis-response-signed-into-law\/","title":{"rendered":"988 lifeline for suicide prevention and crisis response signed into law"},"content":{"rendered":"

OLYMPIA\u2014Governor Inslee has added his signature to a measure passed by the legislature that will ensure Washington remains a leader in suicide prevention. Introduced by\u00a0Rep. Tina Orwall<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(D-Des Moines),\u00a0HB 1477<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0implements the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, replacing the ten-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline\/Veterans Crisis Line with the simple, three-digit 988 phone number beginning by July 16, 2022.<\/p>\n

Implementation of the new 988 National Crisis Line and related crisis services will reduce reliance on emergency room services, as well as the use of law enforcement. \u201cNot knowing what to do when you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts is a terrifying feeling. For most people, the only number they know to call is 911,\u201d Said Rep. Orwall, a mental health professional whose leadership in suicide prevention efforts\u00a0over the past eight years<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has been widely recognized.\u00a0She continued, \u201cthe current system can often cause more trauma for those in crisis. Officers are not social workers, nor do they want to be. We know that one in four police shootings are a result of officers responding to people in a behavioral health crisis. The hotline will be answered by clinicians to help those in crisis receive the services they need. 988 will save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving a behavioral health crisis is not illegal,\u201d said\u00a0Sen. Manka Dhingra<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(D-Redmond), the bill\u2019s sponsor in the Senate. \u201cIt is a cry for help. And it deserves an immediate response that connects to appropriate behavioral health services, with coordination from law enforcement only when safety is an issue. This bill is a critical step toward a statewide behavioral health system that gets people in crisis the help they need.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new law establishes the Statewide 988 Behavioral Health Crisis Response and Suicide Prevention Line Tax on landline, cellular and voice over internet protocol phone lines to fund the crisis hotline centers and response services. The 988 Tax amount for each of these lines is phased in so that the assessment is 24 cents per line per month between October 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022, and is increased to 40 cents per line per month beginning January 1, 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201c988 is happening, so the question is: how will we respond? Starting with less than a penny a day, we can save precious lives and make sure every person, anywhere in our state, gets the care they deserve,\u201d Rep. Orwall said.<\/p>\n

The 988 Implementation Team and the Crisis Response Improvement Strategy Committee created by the legislation will provide guidance on the resources required to ensure an in-state call response of at least 90 percent, and develop a comprehensive assessment of the behavioral health crisis services system and a recommended vision for an integrated crisis network throughout Washington.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe vision of this bill is to create a robust call system that can triage, provide rapid response, follow up services, and coordinate with 911, law enforcement and behavioral health to save lives,\u201d Said Orwall. \u201cIn addition, the state is working with the Tribes to create the first 988 Tribal behavioral health and suicide prevention line.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNative American\u2019s have the highest statistics in suicide, and the inclusion of federally recognized tribes and urban Native organizations in the new 988 crisis and suicide prevention number will help us all work together to help all Washingtonians find the help in a crisis,\u201d said\u00a0Rep. Debra Lekanoff<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(D-Bow), the only Native American serving in the Legislature.<\/p>\n

Over the past decade, deaths by suicide have increased by 36 percent in our state. It is the single leading cause of death for Washingtonians ages 10 through 24, and suicide rates are higher than the general population among veterans, American Indians\/Alaska Natives, LGBTQ youth, and people living in rural areas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OLYMPIA\u2014Governor Inslee has added his signature to a measure passed by the legislature that will ensure Washington remains a leader in suicide prevention. Introduced by\u00a0Rep. Tina Orwall\u00a0(D-Des Moines),\u00a0HB 1477\u00a0implements the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, replacing the ten-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline\/Veterans Crisis Line with the simple, three-digit 988 phone number beginning by July 16, 2022. Implementation of the new 988 National Crisis Line and related crisis services will reduce reliance on emergency room services, as well as the use of law enforcement. \u201cNot knowing what to do when you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts is a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":3645,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-release"],"yoast_head":"\n988 lifeline for suicide prevention and crisis response signed into law - Sen. 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