Kansas 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Coordinating Council issues 2024 report

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The state of Kansas 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on Wednesday issued its 2024 report that highlights its efforts for 2024.

The Lifeline has been in operation for a full two years and “has seen successes in responding to those in crisis,” according to a news release from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services.

The report details action taken by the Kansas 988 Coordinating Council in 2024 and that provides data for the 988 Lifeline in the state.

The council’s report was made for the 2025 Kansas Legislature with support from the Kansas Health Institute.

Andrew Brown, Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services deputy secretary of programs and coordinating council chairman,, said “as the Lifeline enters year three, continued attention to workforce development, public outreach and service accessibility will be key to ensuring it can meet the needs of all Kansans in crisis.”

The 988 call centers in Kansas are independently operated and receive additional state and federal funding and oversight from the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services and the coordinating council. The report includes recommendations for legislators to consider.

“Data shows a rise in calls to Kansas 988 centers throughout 2024, reflecting growing awareness of this important resource,” Kansas Health Instute analyst Valentina Blanchard said. “Supporting the council’s work helps ensure that Kansans have access to the care and connection they need.”

The launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in July 2022 represented a shift in how the United States addresses behavioral health crises, the news release stated.

Simplifying access to support by replacing the longer National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number with the easy-to-remember 988 number provides an immediate, accessible resource for anyone in distress.

The release said that 988 offers 24-7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress, including thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crisis, and any other kind of emotional distress.

The 988 number serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where someone lives in the United States, they can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help.

According to the news release, key national findings include:

• Across the United States, the 988 Lifeline expanded its reach, mainly through text and chat services. Text interactions increased by 51 percent.
• In the United States, Spanish and American Sign Language became available, ensuring broader access to critical support.
• Nationwide, since its launch, the 988 Lifeline has received 10.8 million calls, texts and chats. In May 2024, monthly contacts exceeded half a million, up about one-third from the previous year and 80 percent from May 2022. Despite increased demand, national answer rates improved, and wait times decreased. Overall, answer rates rose from 70 percent pre-launch in May 2022 to 89 percent two years later, although some performance metrics slightly declined in year two due to rising contact volumes.

Kansas-specific findings include:

• The 988 Lifeline in Kansas experienced growth in call volume and infrastructure during year two. Kansas call centers handled 25,432 calls, averaging 2,119 per month. Text and chat services saw a more than 45 percent increase from the previous year, with 13,644 texts and chats routed, averaging 1,139 monthly texts or chats.
• Kansas now has five centers handling calls: HeadQuarters Kansas in Lawrence; the Johnson County Mental Health Center;COMCARE of Sedgwick County; Wyandot Behavioral Health Network in Kansas City; and HealthSource Integrated Solutions in Topeka, which provides backup support.
• In year two, Kansas saw a slight drop in the percentage of calls answered in the state. Between August 2023 and July 2024, Kansas answered 88.5 percent of its 988 calls on average, falling just short of the national and state goal of 90 percent and last year’s average of 90.3 percent. The in-state answer rate fluctuated between 85 percent and 91 percent throughout the year.
• Chat and text services showed different answer patterns from call services, with in-state rates around 45 percent for chats and 51 percent for texts in July 2024.
• Data indicates higher call volumes during the summer months.

Learn more about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Kansas. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call, text, or chat 9-8-8 for help.