988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 24/7 Emotional Support for Youth

Format

Workshop

First Presenter's Institution

Vibrant Emotional Health

First Presenter’s Email Address

gbarker@vibrant.org

First Presenter's Brief Biography

George Barker, LCSW- George Barker is a Coordinator of Clinical Best Practices for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. George provides clinical guidance and coaching to crisis centers in the national network to support the integration of crisis counselor training programs. Additionally, George contributes to the development and implementation of training products and guidance documents for 988 Lifeline. George has over 10 years of experience in the social work field providing services in various settings including crisis intervention, schools, and healthcare facilities. Prior to joining Vibrant, George served as certified school social worker and a crisis counselor at a network center and is proud to be a part of the 988 mission.

Second Presenter's Institution

Vibrant Emotional Health

Second Presenter’s Email Address

MCurtis@vibrant.org

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

McKenzie Curtis, MSSW- McKenzie Curtis is a Manager of Clinical Technologies (Digital Center Support) for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, assisting 988 Lifeline Crisis Chat and Text (LCCT) centers in assessing and implementing their clinical chat practices. In addition, McKenzie’s role focuses on onboarding new chat and text centers to the LCCT network and providing technical assistance. Before joining the Vibrant team, McKenzie worked as a 988 Chat and Text program manager and Reassurance Program Manager at a local crisis center in Tennessee.

Location

Session Eight

Strand #1

Hands: Safety & Violence Prevention

Strand #2

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Relevance

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and other 988 affiliated programs provide critical, life-saving services and support to young people across the nation. Specifically in the strands of Hands (Safety and Violence Prevention) and Health (Mental and Physical Health), 988 crisis services and programs provide access to intervention as well as access to professional, community, and peer support. Additionally, the You Matter platform administered by 988 is a safe space for youth to discuss and share stories about mental health and wellness, written and curated by the You Matter Blogger Council.

Brief Program Description

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young people. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential, 24/7 emotional support via call/text/chat to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, including youth. Learn how our 200+ crisis centers serve the youth in your community by combining local resources with national clinical standards via crisis intervention and the Lifeline Safety Assessment Model.

Summary

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. The Lifeline consists of a national network of over 200 local crisis centers, combining custom local care and resources with national standards and best practices.

When an individual reaches out to 988, they have the option to engage in telephonic, text, and chat services. Individuals also have the opportunity to select a prompt to connect to the 988 Lifeline Spanish subnetwork, the LGBTQ+ Youth subnetwork, or the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL).

All 988 crisis counselors complete core training requirements, including self-paced courses and simulated role plays. 988 crisis counselors are trained to implement the Lifeline Safety Assessment Model, which guides crisis conversations in a way that is uniquely suited to meet the needs of people in crisis.

On the 988 Lifeline, crisis counselors provide 24/7 support to individuals across the country, including youth. When schools are closed, when professional services are unavailable, or when friends or family are not an option, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a source of immediate assistance for young people who may be struggling. Support via 988 can serve to bridge the gap and maintain safety between an acute emotional crisis and the next appointment, class, session, or practice the youth attends.

Coaches, teachers, clinicians, faith leaders, mentors, parents, and friends can all utilize 988 to connect youth to the support they need. Crisis counselors collaborate with youth to create a safety plan to use as a source of immediate and ongoing support. Crisis intervention via 988 is an effective intervention. Individuals have reported improved mood and decreased acute suicidality after contacting 988.

As states and local school districts look to integrate policy increasing access and awareness of 988 and crisis intervention, it’s imperative that those who serve the youth in the community have an understanding of 988’s services. By learning more about how 988 operates and the services offered, professionals can make more informed decisions to best support the young people in their care.

Evidence

  • Gould, M. S., Chowdhury, S., Lake, A. M., Galfalvy, H., Kleinman, M., Kuchuk, M., & McKeon, R. (2021). National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Crisis Chat Interventions: Evaluation of Chatters’ perceptions of effectiveness. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 51(6), 1126–1137. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12795

  • Gould, M.S., Lake, A.M., Galfalvy, H., Kleinman, M., Munfakh, J.L., Wright, J. and McKeon, R. (2018), Follow‐up with Callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Evaluation of Callers’ Perceptions of Care. Suicide Life Threat Behav, 48: 75-86. doi:10.1111/sltb.12339 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28261860/

Learning Objective 1

develop a greater understanding of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the services and programs offered, and how the Lifeline works.

Learning Objective 2

recognize how the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline supports youth across the country.

Learning Objective 3

identify effective clinical application of 988 intervention in work with youth clients.

Keyword Descriptors

988 Lifeline, Crisis Intervention, Suicide Prevention, Mental Health, Crisis Continuum, Community, Youth Mental Health

Presentation Year

2024

Start Date

3-6-2024 9:15 AM

End Date

3-6-2024 9:45 AM

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Mar 6th, 9:15 AM Mar 6th, 9:45 AM

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 24/7 Emotional Support for Youth

Session Eight

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among young people. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential, 24/7 emotional support via call/text/chat to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, including youth. Learn how our 200+ crisis centers serve the youth in your community by combining local resources with national clinical standards via crisis intervention and the Lifeline Safety Assessment Model.