Today, we recognize the State of Illinois and many partners on being part of the national launch of 988. This new 3-digit code for a Suicide and Crisis Line is built to make it easier to find help during a mental health emergency. You can call or text 988 from any phone to reach a compassionate mental health counselor.

988 complements many other existing mental health programs like NAMI Chicago’s Helpline. Our Helpline is not part of 988, and is available 7 days a week at (833-626-4244) to help people find the right mental health resources for themselves or someone they love. The general emergency line, 911, is also still available for all kinds of crises.

While 988 and 911 are both 3-digit dialing codes, the two lines work differently. 988 call takers are trained mental health counselors whose main job is to spend time with the caller and provide emotional support. In comparison, 911 call takers are emergency dispatchers whose main job is to find out what is going on and deploy police, fire, or ambulance. 988 can also call for in-person emergency personnel, but experts predict that more than 80% of 988 calls will be handled only on the phone.

At NAMI Chicago, we see today as the first step towards a larger vision. What would it look like for every Illinoisian experiencing a mental health emergency to have access to a safe, timely and appropriate mental health response – and then get follow-up care to help them stay well?

We also know the larger context: in Illinois and nationwide, our mental health system is in fragments and running on fumes. The 988 crisis line can only be successful if it has adequate funding and infrastructure. And it can only provide real help if it can link people into a network of other mental health services in the community. We have a lot more work to do in Illinois to make these things possible.

NAMI Illinois and NAMI Chicago are leading advocacy across the state to build a strong system to respond to mental health emergencies. Our goal is to make sure our 988 call centers always have the resources they need to answer the call, be well-trained and truly connect people to long-term support. That means government funding – not just for this year, but for every year in the future. It means tough coordination work to make sure 988 can work together with mobile mental health crisis responders, take calls diverted from 911, and more. It also means investing in better in-person crisis services, like mental health-focused alternatives to emergency rooms.

Join us in recognizing the State of Illinois in launching this incredible new resource in 988. But join us, too, in advocating for that system to continue getting better – and for a future where everyone can get the mental health support that they deserve.

To learn more, contact Rachel Bhagwat, Director of Policy, at rachelb@namichicago.org.

Reinventing Crisis Response – Preparing Illinois for 988

What’s New in 2022 in Illinois’ Mental Health Crisis System

The post 988 Launch in Illinois first appeared on NAMI Chicago.

NAMI Chicago is delighted to announce the publishing of our newest policy brief, entitled Resilience and Recovery: Creating Opportunity for Healing in the Court System.

For decades, mental health advocates have been fighting nation-wide to reduce reliance on the criminal court system for people living with mental health conditions. As community mental health treatment has become more scarce, there have been less and less options for care for people who are living with significant mental health needs and require treatment to manage their symptoms and avoid psychiatric crises. They have instead had increased interactions with police, jails, prisons and state-operated hospitals.

Change is possible. It will require innovation and investment in community-based options for mental health treatment, diverting from the court system, and addressing the recovery needs of people living with mental health conditions.

As advocates and policymakers work to build this community capacity, we must also reform and rethink how individuals living with mental health conditions receive treatment and support as they continue to cycle in and out of jails, and sometimes land within the state’s psychiatric hospital system or prisons. Many stakeholders within these environments are already leading strong reform efforts. We must deliberately and urgently push forward so that people who are treated within jails, state hospitals, and prisons are able later to thrive outside of these systems.

NAMI Chicago’s policy brief makes several recommendations that seek to reform the approach to mental health needs within the criminal court system and state operated forensic system related to:

• Refocusing the forensic mental health system from punishment to recovery.

• Training court stakeholders on the importance of mental health to increase the likelihood of diversion at the earliest possible point.

• Improving system transparency and accountability through data collection, analysis, and policy development.

Read the Policy Brief Here

To partner with us or inquire about this work, please contact Jen McGowan-Tomke, NAMI Chicago COO, at jen@namichicago.org. For more information about NAMI Chicago’s policy and advocacy work, visit namichicago.org/policy.

The post Resilience and Recovery: Creating Opportunity for Healing in the Court System first appeared on NAMI Chicago.

As a clinician, I have been taught how to assess people who may be thinking of ending their life. There is a formula, an assessment tool, and a crisis plan.

But I think we have it all wrong. We are so consumed with the idea of protecting our profession that we have forgotten how to be human. When people are in pain or in crisis, they don’t want to be interrogated. They need to be loved. They need to know that someone has their backs. They need someone to take over and lead them. And they need that help without it adding trauma to their already fragile hearts.

In my 15 years in this field, I have never seen the hopelessness I do now. It bears down on us from so many directions. Some of the causes are fresh, like the political climate, but plenty are repeat offenders, like personal finances or the holiday season. All together, they weigh heavily on our mental health.

I see and hear it every day: when I train first responders, when I pick up the phone, while talking to family, over dinner with friends.

Depression is a powerful liar. It lies so easily that it reshapes our perceptions and our reality. It tells us we are alone. It tells us we are not strong. It tells us we are a burden. It twists our own memories and new experiences to say that we are not worthy of life.

This web of lies limits us. It saps our will and makes every option look bleak. Worst of all, it makes asking for help seem more overwhelming than living our lives.

In this state of mind, “you are not alone” feels like another lie. Because when our souls are empty and lost, we feel isolated even when we are surrounded. This is the most insidious of the lies because it is compounded by society’s stigma about mental illness and particularly by the stigma around suicide and thoughts of suicide.

Even as we ask people in crisis to be brave, we must do better ourselves. We must face our own discomfort and fear of talking about suicide if we are ever going to effectively help those thinking about taking their own lives.

NAMI Chicago has the courage to believe that healing is possible.

We can help family members, and we can help people experiencing crisis. We promise that it is not too much for us. We are ready. We welcome you with open arms for you are never a burden. We will listen and love, not demand that you answer questions.

We understand that asking for help and talking about the hopelessness can be terrifying. We know it can sometimes seem even more frightening than taking your own life. That’s the mountain we must overcome, but we can do it together. We are patient, and we are here to help, and we will not give up on you.

Depression weaves its lies; we counter with truths.

We will not give up on you. We are here every day, ready to help, our hands outstretched.

Here is more truth to pierce the web of lies. We will never lie and say that everyone heals, but we will say that we see many people do it. The same people who could not lift their heads off the pillow one day, do find hope the next.

Another fact: Healing happens in relationships and in communities. But healing is hard. A broken bone knits itself back together again. But mental healing takes effort, conscious effort.

We have a mountain to climb together, and it will sometimes feel like an insurmountable barrier. Being with the pain is part of the healing experience, and that can feel like a lot to bear — but know that you won’t do it alone. We will be there with you every step of the way.

Here is one final set of truths. Hear them as if for the first time.

You are loved. You are brave. You are strong. Your emotions are your strength.

Call NAMI. We see you. We value you. Help is just an inch away. Please try.

Alexa James
Executive Director, NAMI Chicago

You can reach the NAMI Chicago Helpline 7 days a week at
(833) NAMI-CHI / (833) 626–4244.

Listen to our WBEZ interview about mental health and the holidays.

The post Courage to Heal first appeared on NAMI Chicago.