National 988 number a resource for mental health
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — District 6 Chambers County Commissioner Debra Riley is working to spread awareness and resources for mental health needs in the community.
“What we're trying to do is make the public aware and get our industries, churches, city administrations and just anyone where people are employed to take these 988 posters and make sure that everyone is aware that the number is out there [for those experiencing mental health crises],” she said. “I ask people all the time, ‘Do you know what 988 is?’ and they're like ‘no.’ Well, 988 is equivalent to calling 911 when we want fire, police or EMS; 988 is for suicide, a mental health crisis and veteran mental health.”
Riley said 988 can also be used for those looking for mental health and addiction-related resources.
“I had a young lady that really wanted to come off the drugs, and I told her, ‘Call 988 and I would be interested if you would share with me what they did,’" she said. “The girl told me what they did was they talked with her, and then gave her guidance on where she could get help in our area.”
Working to create a nationwide resource for everyone, Riley said for years nonprofit organizations had established resources for those experiencing a mental health crisis or drug addiction, and 988 was the result of a goal to create one number that can connect callers to those local resources and nonprofits.
“The nonprofits were fragmented across the whole nation,” she said. “The 988 number is national; therefore, anyone in the United States, no matter where you're at, can call. If I were to leave today and travel up to Oregon, then I could pick up the phone and dial 911 if I wanted fire or EMS, and I could pick up the phone and call 988 and get some help for drug addiction, mental health, suicide and those kind of things. So it was just trying to bring all of these fragmented systems together, and that started probably five years ago. Then three years ago they really started pushing the numbers out throughout all the states, because it takes some time to establish that system.”
Riley said there are posters that local churches, businesses and organizations can pick up to share the message and resources of 988 across Chambers County. Call Riley at (706) 773-3186 to inquire about a poster.
“We are trying to work and get people to put these posters up,” she said. “We've kind of been targeting restrooms at work facilities and churches, and we have been targeting places people go to have lunch. We are thinking about any area in a facility where individuals might walk. Because oftentimes we don't realize that people are dealing with a mental crisis or considering suicide, we don't know that they may have become addicted to a prescription medication that someone failed to properly educate them about and we just want to get it as expanded as we can get it.”
Riley said she became passionate about mental health resources after visiting the county jail and recognizing the correlation of mental health crisis and drug addiction.
“It actually started becoming passionate about this when I became a commissioner and was going down and visiting our county jail,” she said. “I was seeing how our mental health patients were in our county jails, but had not committed a crime, and Sheriff Lockhart was the first one to talk to me about this, about how unfair it was. He didn't have the resources for these people. I have to say, Sheriff Lockhart and Sheriff Nelson have had a passion just for treating people fairly.”
Working to help those incarcerated have better mental health and escape drug addiction, Riley said the Chambers County Jail is working with the Stepping Up program.
“The County Commission employs a company, and they provide telehealth services for medical and mental health, and then they allow the nurse that's in the jail to get inmates back on their medications,” she said. “Oftentimes that is a step toward getting them into the community. Another note to make: we're not talking about mental health business crisis from those who have actually committed a crime. If we have a person who has a mental health crisis that actually robbed someone, uses a weapon or is violent towards someone, then that individual must serve their jail term first. But while we're there, we try to treat their mental health so that when they are released, they're in a better condition when back in the community, and then that's where the Stepping Up program comes in. The Stepping Up program is designed to keep mental health patients out of our county jails and to get them to appropriate facilities.”
Riley said she wants to encourage those in Chambers County to call 988 for resources for themselves or loved ones who are experiencing a mental health crisis or drug addiction.
“When looking for resources for a loved one in your family, reach out to 988,” she said. “You can go online at, www.988lifeline.org.”
