If you or someone you know is in crisis, please get help. You are not alone. Call or text the Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline at 988. For emergency situations, call 911. Additional resources can be found here.
It’s been two years since Idaho, and the rest of the nation, launched the three digit emergency number 988 for mental and emotional health emergencies.
The Idaho Suicide and Crisis Hotline answers about 80 calls a day. Director Lee Flinn said callers are grappling with a wide range of concerns, such as scary health diagnoses, bullying, loneliness, and grief.
“No matter what they're struggling with, whether it's mental illness, whether they're feeling suicidal. A lot of times they feel like they're the only one,” she said. “And those feelings are very, very common.”
According to SAVE, a suicide prevention advocacy group, Idaho has the fifth most suicides per capita in the U.S., with 23 deaths per 100,000 residents. Suicide is among the leading causes of death nationwide with an average of 14 each year per 100,000 people.
Flinn says there’s still a lot of stigma around mental health and suicidal ideation but the first step is reaching out for help. A caller can share as little or as much as they want, and are not required to share their names or where they live.
“We're able to support and help that person reduce stress about 85% of the time,” Flinn said, “As simple as it seems, a lot of times a person wants somebody to talk to.”
For those needing more support, a dispatcher may ask the caller if it’s okay to send someone over to check on them in person.
“When they show up, they're wearing plain clothes, they're driving a plain car, so it's really more of direct, one-on-one experience from trained mental health specialists,” Flinn said.
Flinn said the hotline is also there for those seeking help for their loved ones. A common misconception is that bringing up concerns to someone struggling with suicidal thought might make things worse.
“Talking about suicide actually helps prevent suicide,” she added.
The mobile unit is currently available to anyone in Idaho and will expand to 24/7 service come January 2025.
