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Chuck Schumer says he won't block Republican funding bill amid Democratic divisions over shutdown strategy; Health and climate: A growing crisis in Florida; PA faith leader part of TX protest of oil, gas subsidies; AZ groups file lawsuits to limit effects of Elon Musk's DOGE.

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Trump administration faces legal battles on birthright citizenship; the arrest of a Palestinian activist sparks protests over free speech. Conservationists voice concerns about federal job cuts impacting public lands, and Ohio invests in child wellness initiatives.

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Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

Report: 988 lifeline provides robust support for mental health crisis in Tennessee

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Tuesday, July 16, 2024   

A mental health report in Tennessee revealed a strong response rate of 89% for 988 crisis line calls.

The report from the advocacy group Inseparable calls for expanding mental health resources such as 988 call centers, mobile response units and crisis centers, along with stable funding to sustain them.

Becky Stoll, senior vice president of crisis services for the nonprofit Centerstone, explained their organization is part of a nationwide network of more than 200 crisis centers. She added Centerstone provides 988 services in Tennessee and Illinois. As a backup center, they assist other overwhelmed crisis centers by handling overflow calls, especially those from youth and young adults.

"We also operate a chat and text center for LGBTQI+ youths," Stoll pointed out. "And we operate one of several centers that are solely focused on handling chats and texts from that special population."

Stoll emphasized her group is passionate about crisis hotline and worked hard from an advocacy standpoint to ensure the legislation got passed. She added the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers round-the-clock, no-cost emotional support for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress.

Stoll reported Centerstone has managed call volumes effectively without significant challenges. She stressed their focus on providing callers with the most appropriate resources, whether connecting them to mental health support or addressing other related issues, without always requiring in-person interventions from mobile crisis teams.

"Everybody that's calling into 988 is not calling in because they have an acute or a chronic mental health condition that they're living with," Stoll pointed out. "It's often other things that are going on, it's housing and food, it's being a special population that's marginalized."

Angela Kimball, chief advocacy officer for Inseparable, said the report calls on state legislatures to create sustainable funding sources and accountability measures for their crisis response systems.

"By having these accountability pieces, this allows legislators to oversee the system over the long haul," Kimball explained. "And to set up the structures for continuous learning, continuous system improvement."

The report suggested a 98-cent surcharge on calls could generate almost $6.8 million annually in the state's funding.

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


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