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Tuesday, December 24, 2024

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Bill Clinton is hospitalized for observation and testing after developing a fever; Biden commutes most federal death sentences before Trump takes office; Proposed post office 'slowdown' threatens rural Americans; Report: Tax credits shrink poverty for NM kids, families; Tiny plastic pieces enter the body in ways you'd never think of.

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Biden commutes the sentences of most federal death row inmates, the House Ethics Committee says former Rep. Gaetz may have committed statutory rape, and the national archivist won't certify the ERA without congressional approval.

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Rural folks could soon be shut out of loans for natural disasters if Project 2025 has its way, Taos, New Mexico weighs options for its housing shortage, and the top states providing America's Christmas trees revealed.

Report: MD needs to increase support for 988 mental health crisis system

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Tuesday, July 2, 2024   

A new report looking at the rollout of the 988 suicide and crisis hotline finds a wide variance between states, with Maryland among those taking steps to shore up the system. The 988 service debuted nationwide two years ago as a mental-health crisis response system people can call or text and is designed to provide free access to specialized counselors for anyone who is in crisis or just needs to talk. The report by the nonprofit group Inseparable finds Maryland is one of only 10 states to have enacted a telecom fee to fund the hotline. The state tacked on 25 cents per month to cell phone bills in legislation passed this spring.

Angela Kimball, chief advocacy officer with Inseparable and report co-author, said despite the progress, there remain underserved areas.

"We're still a long way from having the kind of system that everybody expects in every ZIP code in every part of America," she said.

The 988 service can connect people in crisis to mobile response teams. The report estimates Maryland needs 45 such teams. Currently only three counties and Baltimore City have mobile response teams available.

The 988 hotline was established in part to relieve police and emergency rooms from dealing with people in mental health crises. The report shows that four in 10 people in jail or prison have a mental-health condition, and one in five fatal police shootings since 2015 have involved people experiencing a mental-health emergency.

Data show in 2017, emergency room costs for people experiencing a mental-health or substance-use disorder totaled more than $5 billion. Kimball said providing people in crisis the right kind of help is critical.

"We know that with the right approach, people can get on the path to recovery. We can avoid the expense, the trauma of emergency departments, of jails, of law enforcement involvement, and really give people help when they need it most," she continued.

The report found that more than 80% of calls to 988 are resolved over the phone, and for those who required mobile response teams, 70% of those are resolved in the field.

Disclosure: Inseparable contributes to our fund for reporting on Criminal Justice, Health Issues, Mental Health, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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