Semi-annual Call Volume andCenter Status Report

The National SuicidePrevention Lifeline and Texas

(January-June 2019)

WHO AREWE?

The Lifeline is the nation'spublic safety net for allAmerican residents inemotional distress orsuicidal crisis.

Healing, hope, and help can happen.1.

We can all take action to prevent suicide.2.

Local crisis centers are critical partners in all community suicide prevention.

3.

Page 1

In Texas, there are

Intake & Crisis Emergency Services(El Paso)

The Lifeline was established in 2005 bySAMHSA.  

Suicide and Crisis Center (Dallas)

The Harris Center (Houston)

Integral Care (Austin)

WHO AREWE?

WE BELIEVE

Through its toll-free number (800-273-TALK), the Lifeline is a national servicedesigned to seamlessly

This year, the Lifeline’s network of over160 local centers will answer over 2million calls.

TEXAS MEMBERS

crisis centers which are members of the Lifeline...

they are able to get the best care,

locallyconnect persons in each state tofinanced and operatedcrisis centers, so

nearest to them.

ICARE Call Center of MHMR of TarrantCounty (Fort Worth)

TEXAS HIGHLIGHTS

Page 2

in-state out-of-state

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Num

ber o

f Cal

ls

Where are the callers from Texas being answered?Callers from Texas are better served by their local crisis centers.  However, if the nearest center to thecaller is busy, Lifeline network backup centers in other regions across the United States make their bestefforts to answer these calls.

The Lifeline is a local and national safetynet for people in crisis, with one easilyrecognizable national toll free hotline.

In the first six months of 2019,there were 64,361 callers fromTexas to the Lifeline.

Of those 64,361 callers,31% were able to receive helpin Texas.

Which means that 44,566 callers from Texas,were unable to be answered by alocal center in Texas.

0

50000

100000

150000

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Years

Num

ber o

f Cal

ls

This chart shows total annual call volumefrom Texas for the last five years.

This chart shows where the callers from Texas wereanswered between January and June of 2019.

OUR GOALS

Why is it important that your state support local Lifeline crisis centers?

QUESTIONS?

Best Practices in Crisis Care

The clinical care task force for theNational Action Alliance finds thatbest practices in suicide care havenot been implemented in all crisissettings*.   Being a member of the Lifelineensures that your state is meetingstandards established by SAMHSAfunded evaluation of crisis centers*.These evaluations show Lifelinecenters significantly reduceemotional distress and suicidalityin callers. All Lifeline centers are required tobe accredited and adopt industrystandard practices based onresearch and national expertconsensus. Recent research byRand* shows that Lifeline centersdo a better job of assessing risk andreducing distress in callers thannon-Lifeline crisis centers.

Cost Effective Means to Fill in Gaps of Care

Aside from research showing thatLifeline centers reduce suicidal andemotional distress in callers,Lifeline centers in your state canbetter ensure that Texas callers “gothrough the right door” for localcare. Local Lifeline crisis centers reducethe burden on your emergencyrooms, police, and emergencyresponders, as well as yourbehavioral healthcare providers,who often must step in whenemotional crises escalate. Thecenters also provide a safety net inthe absence of other affordablecommunity resources. People in crisis can easily usehotlines to access help when othermental health, substance abuse,and social services have eligibilityrestrictions, are unavailable in ruralareas, are inaccessible during late-night hours, or no longer operatebecause of budget cuts.

212-614-6379 mtaylor@vibrant.orgMatt Taylor, Director

of NetworkDevelopment

Page 3

Your callers in crisis deserve the best helpthey can receive – and they deserve toreceive it in their own state, from providerswho know where the best care is to supporttheir local needs. Support your local crisis centers .

"Studies indicate that crisis hotlines play a critical role in ... the mental healthsystem. Crisis hotlines could also be utilized to provide monitoring or tracking of

patients after hospital treatment for a suicide attempt. Crisis hotlines deserve theactive support of the SMHA to ensure high quality, cost-effective services are

consistently available to all residents of the state.”

- NASMHPD 2007 Suicide Prevention Efforts for Individuals with SeriousMental Illness: Roles for the State Mental Health Authority (SMHA)

To efficiently connect callers with your local crisis and behavioralhealth services, the crisis centers in Texas need to be part of theLifeline.

PUBLIC RECOGNITION

reach up to 7 million peopleannually.

all accredited facilities togive the Lifeline number toall suicidal persons they areserving.

results in a prominentlydisplayed "one box" throughour partnership withGoogle.

Any search that is suicide related...

The Joint Commission now requires...

Our partnerships with social mediacompanies...

with many state and national public health efforts to prevent suicide.  Millions of suicide preventionstakeholders across this country are promoting the Lifeline  offline and online, but 75% of Lifeline callersfirst learn of the service from online resources.

When people in the U.S. mention suicideto Apple iPhone's Siri...she refers them to the Lifeline.

The phone number and brand of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be associated

Source: goo.gl/yCSuGz

Page 4