Governor Hochul signs new legislation and launches a $5 million awareness campaign to expand 988 crisis support and reach vulnerable communities across New York.
Governor Kathy Hochul has taken significant steps to address suicide prevention and mental health across New York this September, National Suicide Awareness Month, by signing several key pieces of legislation aimed at enhancing crisis resources.
One of the bills signed by Gov. Hochul is the Student Lifeline Act, which mandates the inclusion of the 988 crisis helpline number on all college and university student identification cards across the state, at both public and private universities by 2025.
A $5 million public awareness campaign called “We Hear You” has also been launched, which will leverage multiple platforms – ranging from social media to billboards and streaming services – ensuring that different demographics are reached with personable and representative messaging.
In the “We Hear You” ad campaign, the use of different platforms to spread awareness will help target various groups strategically, especially those more at risk of suicide. There will be several focused ads for “first responders, health care professionals, school-aged youth and college students; and Black, Latina, and LGBTQ+ individuals,” according to the New York State government website.
“Instead of making them fit our model, we need to find out what works for them,” explained Kristine Knutson, manager of community programs at Contact Community Solutions in East Syracuse, a 988 Crisis Contact Center. “How do we become those credible messengers, trusted entities, where they would feel comfortable inviting us into their group to do a training, or they would be comfortable putting a poster up in their lobby?”
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, introduced nationwide in 2022 as a shift from the previous traditional 10-digit number, offers free, confidential 24/7 support for anyone experiencing emotional distress. In New York, this hotline has seen substantial growth, but more resources are needed to meet rising demand. Gov. Hochul’s administration allocated $60 million in this year’s budget to support the state’s fifteen 988 Crisis Contact Centers.
Allyson Kuhn, the 988 manager at Contact Community Services, explained that the organization provides primary 988 call coverage for 9 counties and backup coverage for 22 counties in New York State. Knutson added, “Our center has a really good answer rate. We are held to very high standards where we have to answer above 90% of our calls.”
This level of responsiveness is essential in moments of crisis, as it often takes considerable courage for someone to reach out for help – making timeliness and responsiveness critical.
At the local level, Contact Community Services is deeply involved in the community, working with schools, universities, hospitals, and other nonprofits to deliver services and training. The crisis service division at Contact Community Solutions includes the call center, and their staff going out to do suicide prevention and mental health training and presentations at local campuses and community events.
In addition to fielding calls through the 988 hotline, Contact Community Solutions also participates in 911 diversion efforts, which aim to redirect non-emergency mental health-related calls away from police and emergency responders to trained mental health professionals.
“Most of our callers are not in a crisis or an emergency, which is like a more time-sensitive thing… So oftentimes, we’re able to listen, de-escalate, help people figure out what their supports are or strategies are, connect them to other resources in the community that might be more appropriate,” Knutson said.