EHN shares importance of 988 Awareness Day

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and on 988 Awareness Day, ABC-7 is sharing word of the resource made special for mental health struggles — the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

988 Awareness Day is a day of action on every year on Sept. 8., and the goal is to reduce stigma about mental health issues and make care accessible to everyone…

Emergence Health Network hosted a rock painting event so that people around the community can be reminded that there is always someone to call.

EHN says more young people are reaching out to the lifeline, while more adults have committed suicide.

"I know here specifically in El Paso, we're at a lower rate than we were last year at this point," said Stacey Contreras, director of the EHN Crisis Call Center. "So hopefully we see a decline in our community locally."

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was created 3 years ago, but now, it’s being used more than ever.

But the lifeline doesn’t just deal with suicide, they also handle other situations like mental health crises, substance use crises, and emotional distress.

"The goal is to educate the community about this service, inform them that it's there for support, not just for those experiencing any sort of mental health crises, but also for family members, loved ones, just friends that are concerned and that need more information on how to navigate these situations," said Contreras. "And so overall, reducing the stigma when it comes to suicide and other mental health concerns."

The 988 lifeline also has a chat option which has been used more in the youth, it can all be anonymous too.