988 Chat/Text staff increased to meet needs of youth
This graph shows the increase of chats/texts answered following the increase in staff beginning in November 2023 (purple)
FrontLine Service has increased staffing for crisis chat and text services to respond to the growing number of individuals reaching out for help through messaging, especially adolescents and young adults.
FrontLine’s Crisis team provides 24/7/365 support to people experiencing suicidal ideation, emotional distress, substance use challenges, or a mental health crisis.
Justin Antall, FrontLine Online Emotional Support Program Manager, has overseen the expansion of the Crisis Chat/Text program since the Fall 2023. He currently leads a team of eight crisis intervention specialists who respond 24/7 to text and chat messages from individuals in crisis. In January 2023, the team was able to respond to 62 chat/texts. In January 2024 after the expansion, the team was able to answer 295 chat/text messages, a 375% increase.
Justin acknowledges that people who use chat/text over calls are usually children and young adults aged 10 to 25. The Ohio Department of Health reports that in 2021, suicide was the second-leading cause of death among Ohioans 10-34 years of age. Providing text and chat options is critical to making crisis services more accessible to children, teens, and young adults who prefer to communicate online rather than on the phone.
The chat/text option can also help individuals unable to find a private place to talk. Places like school, work, or in a crowded home with thin walls can affect someone’s ability to speak safely and openly about sensitive topics.
“This is a service that is intended to get somebody through a crisis, whether it be a 14-year-old who is going through a break-up, or somebody who lost their job and doesn’t know where they’re going to live tomorrow,” he said. “We are providing empathetic, non-judgmental support to people who are just going through a crisis and don’t feel that they want to make that call and they’d rather text.”
FrontLine’s Crisis team has been answering Cuyahoga County’s crisis hotline since 1999. FrontLine receives calls through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a national network of 200+ crisis centers that can be reached by dialing 9-8-8. The 988 Lifeline was launched in July 2022 by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or is in crisis, call or text 988 or visit www.988lifeline.org/chat/ to speak with a crisis counselor.