Missouri emerges as leader in 988 crisis hotline response times

Missouri is a national leader when it comes to 988 crisis hotline response times. 

That is what Director Valerie Huhn, the Director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health tells a committee of lawmakers it’s not enough… 

 “I am troubled everyday when I hear about a suicide that’s occurred in our state. I’ve had, I think we had three young women, just in the last month, die by suicide. Young women don’t die by suicide. What is going on here?” 

In October, Missouri 988 received 5,311 phone calls, 94-percent of which were answered locally with the average wait time being about 14 seconds. 

The crisis line also responded in very quick fashion to the influx of text and chat messages received as well.