1 00:00:01,368 --> 00:00:02,202 - Where are they located? 2 00:00:02,202 --> 00:00:04,838 Carter Geers knows when people need help. 3 00:00:04,938 --> 00:00:06,740 - Do they know about the resources in their area? 4 00:00:06,740 --> 00:00:08,341 He coaches call takers 5 00:00:08,341 --> 00:00:11,444 who are talking to people in the midst of a mental health crisis. 6 00:00:11,845 --> 00:00:15,382 It's something he understands because like many of us, 7 00:00:15,849 --> 00:00:17,517 he's had that experience too. 8 00:00:17,517 --> 00:00:20,020 (emotional piano music) 9 00:00:20,020 --> 00:00:22,055 - I have struggled with suicidal ideation in the past, 10 00:00:22,155 --> 00:00:26,226 and I've been in situations where I just I felt hopeless. 11 00:00:26,259 --> 00:00:27,460 ( sound of typing) 12 00:00:27,627 --> 00:00:29,763 - The history of detoxes. 13 00:00:29,763 --> 00:00:32,032 The calls are not easy to handle. 14 00:00:32,032 --> 00:00:35,468 - We get people coming in that are going through the worst of the worst. 15 00:00:36,503 --> 00:00:39,005 - Things, saying like killing yourself today. 16 00:00:41,975 --> 00:00:44,844 But now Carter and dozens of other specialists, 17 00:00:45,211 --> 00:00:48,715 plus those calling in crisis, have some newfound support. 18 00:00:48,915 --> 00:00:50,316 - Crisis Connections, this is Holly. 19 00:00:50,316 --> 00:00:54,354 Crisis Connections is one of three agencies across Washington state 20 00:00:54,654 --> 00:00:59,292 now answering calls in 250 languages as part of the Nationwide 21 00:00:59,426 --> 00:01:04,330 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched in July of this year. 22 00:01:04,631 --> 00:01:06,099 (uplifting music) 23 00:01:08,668 --> 00:01:11,271 Nine, eight, eight is a free, confidential line, 24 00:01:11,271 --> 00:01:15,075 you can call or text for you or for a friend. A replacement 25 00:01:15,075 --> 00:01:18,645 for local or national suicide hotlines and other help lines. 26 00:01:19,179 --> 00:01:20,513 And our state has helped 27 00:01:20,513 --> 00:01:24,617 answer the call by providing some much needed funding for the program. 28 00:01:24,717 --> 00:01:28,788 I worked on a number of suicide prevention bills, and this one. 29 00:01:29,856 --> 00:01:32,692 This one will make the greatest difference to save lives. 30 00:01:32,792 --> 00:01:36,763 With the 2021 passage of House Bill 1477. 31 00:01:37,263 --> 00:01:40,667 Lawmakers imposed a tax on phone and Internet lines 32 00:01:40,934 --> 00:01:44,304 to start building out an integrated mental health crisis system, 33 00:01:44,637 --> 00:01:48,508 a system that Rochelle Williams wants to make as inclusive as possible. 34 00:01:48,575 --> 00:01:50,743 You know, two ears. One heart. 35 00:01:50,743 --> 00:01:51,811 Natives helping Natives. 36 00:01:51,811 --> 00:01:55,081 Williams and enrolled member of the Ehattesaht First Nation 37 00:01:55,348 --> 00:01:59,352 and also a Tulalip tribal descendant is the tribal program manager 38 00:01:59,552 --> 00:02:02,422 at Volunteers of America, Western Washington in Everett, 39 00:02:02,655 --> 00:02:05,925 which serves as another of our state's 988 call centers. 40 00:02:06,159 --> 00:02:07,393 - Let me get you in the right place. 41 00:02:07,393 --> 00:02:07,827 Hold on. 42 00:02:07,827 --> 00:02:10,497 Press 4 after you call 988 43 00:02:10,663 --> 00:02:14,234 and you'll be connected to the Native and Strong Crisis Lifeline. 44 00:02:14,534 --> 00:02:19,706 Our country's first helpline made for and run by native and indigenous people. 45 00:02:19,739 --> 00:02:22,408 - I know that there is a lot of mistrust in our communities. 46 00:02:22,408 --> 00:02:25,745 I know that a lot of native people are not trusting of a lot of different systems. 47 00:02:26,412 --> 00:02:29,916 We also believe sometimes that tribal programs fail quite often. 48 00:02:30,583 --> 00:02:33,386 The reason for this, I think, is because we're missing that cultural connection. 49 00:02:33,686 --> 00:02:35,755 We're missing being connected to our own people. 50 00:02:35,755 --> 00:02:39,359 A team of 16 native people will run Native and Strong 51 00:02:39,759 --> 00:02:42,462 to try to respond to a sobering statistic. 52 00:02:42,862 --> 00:02:46,466 American Indian and Alaska Native people have the highest rate 53 00:02:46,466 --> 00:02:49,502 of suicide of any ethnicity in the U.S.. 54 00:02:49,536 --> 00:02:52,805 What we're hoping is to save a lot of lives, even with all of this work. 55 00:02:52,805 --> 00:02:54,607 If we saved one, if somebody called in 56 00:02:54,607 --> 00:02:56,142 that saved their life, that's that we want. 57 00:02:56,142 --> 00:02:57,010 - what insurance do you... 58 00:02:57,043 --> 00:03:02,282 988 Program administrators also want to push back on some misinformation. 59 00:03:02,782 --> 00:03:03,650 They are not. 60 00:03:03,650 --> 00:03:06,019 Geo locating your phone when you call in. 61 00:03:06,252 --> 00:03:08,288 We do not have the ability to trace, 62 00:03:08,288 --> 00:03:10,390 nor are we interested in tracing anyone's call. 63 00:03:10,523 --> 00:03:13,693 Michelle McDaniel is CEO of Crisis Connections 64 00:03:13,826 --> 00:03:17,764 and says only when someone calls 988 with an urgent, life 65 00:03:17,764 --> 00:03:21,100 threatening emergency, an overdose of pills for example, 66 00:03:21,367 --> 00:03:24,270 would an active rescue protocol go into effect. 67 00:03:24,871 --> 00:03:28,708 In that situation, if possible, a 988 operator 68 00:03:28,808 --> 00:03:32,111 would be authorized to track a caller's number through caller ID. 69 00:03:32,478 --> 00:03:36,616 - And then we would contact 911 and say, Hey, here's the situation. 70 00:03:37,250 --> 00:03:39,886 We're on a call with someone who reached out to us. 71 00:03:40,420 --> 00:03:41,921 They have taken pills. 72 00:03:41,921 --> 00:03:43,122 We're worried about them. 73 00:03:43,122 --> 00:03:44,023 (ambulance siren) 74 00:03:44,023 --> 00:03:46,993 Emergency responders would handle things from there. 75 00:03:47,460 --> 00:03:50,196 But Williams says active rescues occur 76 00:03:50,196 --> 00:03:54,367 with only 0.08% of the calls that come into 988. 77 00:03:54,901 --> 00:03:58,871 Most people are able to simply talk out their issues with a call specialist. 78 00:03:58,972 --> 00:04:02,976 80% of the calls that we receive on 988 are resolved 79 00:04:02,976 --> 00:04:04,711 at that crisis line level. 80 00:04:04,711 --> 00:04:07,847 But that leaves 20% of cases not resolved. 81 00:04:08,281 --> 00:04:11,017 And that's what Michele Roberts is working to change. 82 00:04:11,017 --> 00:04:15,288 Long term, our goal is to build out the rest of the crisis support system. 83 00:04:15,321 --> 00:04:19,125 Roberts Is the assistant secretary for prevention and Community Health 84 00:04:19,392 --> 00:04:22,262 at the Washington State Department of Health and says, 85 00:04:22,262 --> 00:04:27,100 beyond 24/7 call centers, people in crisis need two main things. 86 00:04:27,367 --> 00:04:28,835 Someone to come and somewhere to go. 87 00:04:28,835 --> 00:04:32,605 Someone to come would mean a non-police response team for people 88 00:04:32,605 --> 00:04:36,976 in crisis and somewhere to go would be a walk in mental health 89 00:04:36,976 --> 00:04:40,847 receiving facility to replace overburdened emergency rooms. 90 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,316 - If you have a crisis and you call 988., 91 00:04:43,316 --> 00:04:50,023 you can get a next day appointment with a counselor if you need one to get support in person. 92 00:04:50,089 --> 00:04:54,294 That part of the system is set to launch in January of 2023 93 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,131 as mental health care needs continue to grow around our state. 94 00:04:58,131 --> 00:05:00,099 (emotional piano music) 95 00:05:09,342 --> 00:05:14,147 Mental health crises are hard to explain and hard to respond to. 96 00:05:14,714 --> 00:05:18,951 But with a new, inclusive 988 system and more resources 97 00:05:18,951 --> 00:05:23,122 coming to our state, the hope is to erase any stigma around 98 00:05:23,122 --> 00:05:27,193 seeking out help and to make those crises a lot easier to bear. 99 00:05:27,727 --> 00:05:28,895 - We're going to keep building 100 00:05:28,895 --> 00:05:31,664 and improving what we're doing so that we can continue to support people. 101 00:05:31,998 --> 00:05:32,865 We're not always going to 102 00:05:32,865 --> 00:05:35,401 have a magic wand, but we will always have an open ear.