KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Sunday July 16th marked the 1-year anniversary of the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline network’s easy-to-remember 3-digit number 9-8-8. And 9-8-8 partner, Gryphon Place in Kalamazoo honored the milestone with a reported more than 22,000 calls in the last year.
Congress designated 9-8-8 as the number in 2020 to connect to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. At that time, Gryphon Place joined other crisis centers across the country to prepare for the 9-8-8 launch by building capacity in the form of staffing and infrastructure.
In a release dated Sunday, July, Gryphon Place Vice President of Crisis & Conflict Services Ashley Kipp said that most of their callers report feeling significantly less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful after calling the line.
On July 16th, 2022, 9-8-8 officially launched nationwide and was available 24/7 for anyone experiencing a suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress. Over the last year, the network has grown to build capacity for chat and text in addition to the phone line, and specialty lines were added for Veterans, LGBTQI+ youth, and Spanish-speaking persons.
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