Lincoln first city in Nebraska to partner 911 services with 988 mental health lifeline

Mar. 7—Lincoln Mayor Leiron Gaylor Baird on Thursday announced a new partnership between the Lincoln Emergency Communications Center and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Lincoln becomes the first city in Nebraska to partner 911 services with 988's mental health services, which Gaylor Baird said will boost the number of mental health calls serviced.

"The 911/988 partnership enables our 911 emergency dispatchers to connect people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress to the 988 lifeline, to trained mental health professionals and resources," she said.

Calls received by 911 dispatchers that are deemed mental health crises will be transferred to trained professionals with 988.

Nebraska's 988 number had a soft launch in July 2022 and since then, the call center located in Boys Town has received more than 42,000 calls, chats and texts from people experiencing crises caused by mental and behavioral issues, substance use or suicidal thoughts, said program manager Kyle Kinney.

The organization's goal is to provide the correct services at the right time, allowing police and other emergency services to respond to other calls.

"Since implementation, 97% of calls to 988 Nebraska were able to successfully de-escalate the situation," Kinney said.

When someone communicates with 988, they speak with counselors who help people find resources and follow up to ensure their needs are being met.

Lincoln Emergency Communication Center manager Jessica Loos said the center is eager to begin working with 988 to help identify calls that may be better handled through the new partnership.

In the last six months, the communication center has answered just under 6,000 calls from people experiencing a mental health crisis.

"Each of those times, we were limited to sending a law enforcement officer when officers were available to respond," Loos said. "Most of these calls were ones in which the expertise of a crisis counselor would be more effective in addressing the callers' needs."

Research shows that when officers make contact during a mental health crisis, the chances of a situation escalating increase, as does the likelihood of someone ending up in jail.

Certain circumstances may still result in officers being called to a scene of a mental health crisis. For example, if someone is threatening to not only harm themselves but also others, police will be called.

The number of calls to 988 is expected to increase, with 911 calls in Lincoln being connected quickly to the service line. According to Kinney, the average wait time is under 10 seconds.

If the call volume becomes too great for the current staff at 988, the organization will look to hire to fill the necessary gaps.

The Department of Health and Human Services funds 988 Nebraska and will work with the organization to maintain a satisfactory service level if additional funding for staffing becomes necessary.

Staffing has steadily increased since the beginning of the program, Kinney said.

Gaylor Baird touted Lincoln's continued dedication to increase public safety.

"We are so pleased to be piloting this program here in Lincoln as we work to become the safest and healthiest capital city in the country," Gaylor Baird said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7254 or avargas@journalstar.com.

On Twitter @Alex_Vargas1994

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