LINCOLN- The state's 988 suicide prevention and mental health crisis line marked its first anniversary Sunday having handled double the number of calls answered by its predecessor. Michelle Nunemaker, 988 Nebraska state administrator with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said the national nature of the lifeline has brought attention to it. The hotline is a national effort that is organized at the state level.

But the main reason the Nebraska line has received so many more calls is because 988 is more than just a suicide prevention lifeline, Nunemaker said. It handles mental health and substance use crises, which expands the pool of callers. Tony Green, interim director of the agency's behavioral health division, said the free service is a vital resource in Nebraska and across the nation. "It is important to remember that no matter your situation, you are not alone, and that help is available and effective," said Green.

Boys Town National Hotline in Omaha serves as the call center for the 988 line, Nunemaker said. Before 988 launched in July 2022, Boys Town was the call center for the Suicide Prevention Hotline. During 2021, that line received 8,777 calls. Between July 16, 2022 and June 30, the 988 Nebraska line received 18,300 calls, more than twice the number the suicide line received the year before.

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