988 is a great resource to be used by those going through a mental health crisis and needing someone to talk to. There are talk and text options, which makes it easy for anyone who wants to reach out. The ease and anonymity of texting should make more people feel comfortable seeking assistance.
It should be noted that there is a privacy and security statement upon calling or texting 988. A portion of it reads “Any information provided by you or collected on you will not be shared or disclosed with any third party. We do, however, reserve the right to disclose any personal information to the authorities at our sole discretion and as required by law.”
Hearing that personal information may be disclosed to authorities could seem off-putting to some people. Joe Ash, administrative director of RI’s 988 Call Center at BH Link, shed light on this statement and answered additional questions to make people feel more comfortable using the 988 service.
Bobby Forand (Motif): What should someone expect when calling 988?
Joe Ash: Our callers can expect to be greeted by the warm and empathic voice of a crisis counselor who will introduce themselves and ask the caller their name and current location (in case of emergency). From there, the counselor will begin to build rapport as they learn more about what the individual is seeking in terms of support.
Reaching out for help can be uncomfortable and even scary. Our staff are recruited and trained with an emphasis on providing a human experience to the communities we serve. We have policies in place that stress the importance of actively listening to callers and exploring the least invasive outcomes possible. Additionally, our approaches to service are rooted in evidence-based practice and stress a client-centered and strengths-based experience.
BF: Please clarify the disclaimer so it is easily understandable in the privacy and security section. “We do reserve the right to disclose any personal information to the authorities at our sole discretion and as required by law.”
JA: This disclaimer was generated by Vibrant, who are the national coordinators of the Lifeline, responsible for developing 988 guidance and requirements on behalf of SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – this has more to do with liability than it does clinical practice. While Vibrant and SAMHSA are involved in broadly determining the obligations of state departments and their corresponding call centers, much of the procedural and day-to-day work is left to us at the local level.
Here at Rhode Island’s 988 Call Center, we have no procedure that requires us to regularly disclose the personal information of our service recipients (to local authorities or otherwise). When engaging in coordination of care or community response, we are required only to disclose what information is essential in order to preserve the safety of the service recipient and/or those around them.
BF: What is the best and worst case scenario if someone called 988?
JA: The best-case scenario is that someone in crisis speaks to a counselor who listens to what’s troubling them, collaborates on a plan for safety, and helps to connect them to the resources, care, and support that they need. The worst-case scenario happens when that person never reaches out for help.
BF: Is there anything else that you would like to say?
JA: We hope that anyone who needs to contact 988 feels comfortable doing so. It’ll take some time for us as a nation to truly come around to the idea, but we’ve already seen the number of people using the Lifeline double. The more we normalize access to behavioral health services, the further we move towards stopping the stigma.
For those in need of immediate help, or who are in crisis, please dial 988. Email rimusicmh@gmail. com for more info and to apply for the Trouble No More program.
