Hundreds of crisis calls in Oregon go unanswered
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Almost a quarter of Oregon calls to the mental health crisis hotline have gone unanswered so far this year.
Why it matters: The revamped national suicide hotline, which launched in 2022 as 988, promised a quicker, more seamless crisis response in Oregon and across the country but remains a work in progress two years later.
By the numbers: Roughly 79% of the 5,500 Oregonians who called the 988 hotline in May were connected with an in-state counselor, according to data from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
- Oregon's year-to-date answer rate for 2024 is 76%. It's a lower rate than most of the country, and even lower than the state's previous records.
- In 2023 it was 85%.
The intrigue: While Oregon's answer rate has fallen, the number of 988 calls increased nearly 21% locally between May 2023 and May 2024.
What they're saying: Call volumes have "been rising more quickly than new staff can be hired and trained," Dean Carson, a spokesperson for Oregon Health Authority, which oversees the state's 988 system, told Axios.
- Oregon has two 988 call centers, Lines for Life and Northwest Human Services, with the latter only handling calls for Marion and Polk counties in the Salem area.
Zoom in: Lines for Life has answered "1,000 more contacts than this time last year," Carson said, while Northwest Human Services has received 250 more calls per month — a sign more Oregonians may be becoming aware of the new hotline.
- The number of texts to Oregon 988 is also up — about 2,000 each month — which "means more young people are comfortable with just sending a text to get that emotional support," he said.
The big picture: Oregon is one of few states that have made long-term funding commitments to sustain the program. The Legislature approved a 40-cent monthly tax on all phone bills to help expand 988 last year and started collecting the tax in January.
- Right now, 988 pulls from the state's general fund for funding. The phone bill fee, however, could offset $26 million of the program's costs by 2025, Carson said.
Between the lines: If you call from a 503 or 971 cellphone, your call will go to Oregon-based crisis counselors. If you have an out-of-state area code, your call will go to that area code — a challenge the FCC is working with telecom providers to fix via geo-routing.
- When local counselors don't answer in Oregon, calls are routed to national crisis center experts who may not be familiar with local resources and treatment options.
What's next: Carson said OHA will determine whether additional call centers will be added in the coming years based on need.