With the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline fully operational, all of Santa Clara County’s nearly 40 full-time staff dedicated to the resource are moving into the Behavioral Health Services Call Center in San Jose.
The widely publicized national mental health crisis line blends the approaches of 911 and the national suicide prevention hotline to guide people in crisis through the information and services provided by various county departments.
The overhaul of county phone lines pairs with the nationwide introduction of 988 as a mental-health focused alternative to 911. Bruce Copley, director at the Santa Clara County Department of Alcohol and Drug Services, said the goal is “to provide the nexus to the community and respond to the needs of the community that calls it.”
People who call the 988 crisis number (or the county’s 1-800 noncrisis services line that can connect directly to 988) will reach integrated mental health and substance use screening, the 988 national hotline for suicide crisis and the Navigator program.
Callers to 988 can speak with one of the county’s 10 staff members or more than 75 volunteers within six rings or 30 seconds – the national standard for crisis lines. They are able to call for in-person response teams, both from their local police department or the county.
Navigating the system
The noncrisis line provides assessments for mental health and addiction services. Within a 10-minute phone conversation, staff will determine the county services the caller qualifies for. The Navigators work with the 20% of callers who are seeking county resources for primary health care, unemployment issues and family issues like housing.
Alicia Anderson works with the Navigators program, which helps people with nonemergency needs work their way through the county health system. She said the program aims to connect callers with the services they need; however, there is a complicating factor in getting care for callers who aren’t covered by government programs such as Medi-Cal and Medicare. The Navigators can’t, nor can any of the other services groups bundled with 988, make referrals for patients seeking mental health services through their private insurance companies such as Kaiser or Anthem Blue Cross. Anderson estimated that at least 10% of the calls her department fields are for insured patients. Although the Navigators can’t directly refer patients to nongovernment insurers, they do sometimes follow up with patients to check their progress as they seek care outside the county system.
County Supervisor Cindy Chavez said the Navigators program will help callers navigate the vast network of county services and departments.
“What’s important about that is that right now, when you come to get help from us, we have two sheets of phone numbers that we’re trying to make. … Whittle that down, so people can call one number and get the assistance they need,” said Chavez, who is also mounting a campaign for mayor of San Jose.
According to a spokesperson for the county, approximately 80% of callers to the noncrisis line are seeking treatment for mental health or substance use, while 20% are seeking other community resources.
The breakdown is roughly the same for 988, the spokesperson added – an estimated 80% of callers are looking for support for “either suicide, anxiety or another life event that is causing them stress,” and 20% are inquiring about other community resources.
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