US Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has praised the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for their plans to implement geo-routing for incoming calls to the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Network. This new policy aims to provide rapid and localized care to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis by routing calls based on the caller’s location rather than area code.
Tillis, co-chair of the Senate Mental Health Caucus, highlighted the success of the Lifeline in North Carolina, where over 112,000 calls, texts, and chats were received in the past year. The average response time was 14.2 seconds, with a 98% answer rate. Additionally, 90% of North Carolinians who contacted the hotline with suicidal thoughts reported feeling better by the end of the call.
The Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023, introduced by Tillis and US Sen. Alex Padilla, would expedite the connection of callers to their nearest call center for appropriate care while maintaining user privacy. This legislation seeks to improve access to and the accuracy of 9-8-8 responses by routing calls based on proximity and ensuring all carriers allow calls and texts to 9-8-8.
In light of increasing depression rates and overdose deaths, the implementation of geo-routing for the 9-8-8 Lifeline is seen as a critical step in addressing mental health crises and providing timely support to those in need. The FCC is expected to vote on final rules for the geo-routing system on October 17, with an implementation timeline for all US wireless carriers to follow.
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