988 crisis lifeline launches as the borderland returns to school

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico --The new 988 suicide prevention lifeline is now in full swing in Doña Ana county. 

The crisis intervention tool is available to anyone struggling emotionally. Those who call 988 will be connected to a crisis counselor.

"The crisis counselor will be able to contact the mobile team at the crisis triage center and go out and meet the person where they are. The mobile team can bring them back to the triage center and that's a very safe place where they can stay, resolve the crisis, and get connected to resources,” said Jaime Michael Doña Ana County Health and Human Services Director.

According to Michael the launch of 988 will reduce the need for law enforcement and emergency departments to address behavioral health.

"We want to make sure our emergency departments are there for injuries and other life-threatening medical illnesses we know that crisis triage centers are best suited for behavioral health crises so its making all the systems in our community more effective,” said Michael.

The launch of 988 kicked off just as students returned to school.

"The pandemic and isolation that everyone felt and loss and grief that a lot of individuals had so this is an important timing for this to come out,” said Michael

"Coming out of remote learning the isolation that our students were experiencing had a profound impact on their social and emotional health,” said Jameson.

According to Michael youth in the area are especially vulnerable to suicide and emerging mental health-related symptoms.

"New Mexico has a large number of teens that struggle with suicide ideologies and our suicide rate are high,” said Jameson.

The 988 texts and chat feature is something that crisis counselors are hoping will encourage teens to reach out.

"Our school counselors and other people involved in the lives of adolescents like coaches they're great trusted voice to share this information first it helps reduce the stigma and it opens up an opportunity to acknowledge that all of us at some point are going to experience some mental health related distress,” said Michael.

“Having a tool like this for our high school counselors for our counselors across the board is another resource that hopefully, our students will remember in a time of need,” said Jameson

Since its launch, we were told there's been a significant spike in calls placed to the lifeline from the area