IN THE NEWS: NAMI FRANKLIN COUNTY

• Phone companies must allow texting new ’988′ suicide line November 18, 2021
  The FCC will require that phone companies allow people to text as well as call a new “988” number for the suicide-prevention hotline. Phone companies have until July 2022 to implement the 988 number for both calling and texting. “Texting to 988 is a huge step forward in improving how you address mental health,” said […]
• FCC approves texting '988' to reach National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by next year. November 18, 2021
  The FCC unanimously voted to require text messages sent to the number 988 be routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022. Not only is texting a very familiar form of communication for most people, texting to reach 988 also will help individuals who for safety reasons need to access the hotline […]
• FCC votes to include texting in upcoming suicide prevention lifeline, 988. November 18, 2021
  With the pandemic exacerbating the nation's mental health crisis, the FCC voted to expand access to 988, mental health and suicide crisis number, to include texting as well as calling. "We know that not everyone may be able to make a phone call or be comfortable making a phone call. The ability to text 988 […]
• Suicide hotline's text upgrade could strain system November 18, 2021
  A federal move to promote texting the national suicide hotline for help could strain crisis center capacity. Texting can make reaching help more accessible for vulnerable communities, including young people and members of the LGBTQ community, but many insist the system will need more resources. "We don't want somebody to text and not get a […]
• FCC votes to let people text ‘988’ to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline starting in July November 18, 2021
  The FCC voted unanimously to expand access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by letting people text 988 starting next year. Text message providers have to support the three-digit code by July 16th, 2022, which is when the code will go into effect. “With today’s decision to require providers to support text messaging to 988, […]
• Most say police shouldn't be primary responders for mental health crises: NAMI poll. November 17, 2021
  A wide majority of Americans say mental health professionals, rather than law enforcement, should be the primary first responders to mental health crises, a poll released Monday found. Nearly 80% of respondents said mental health professionals, not police, should respond to mental health and suicide situations. NAMI CEO Daniel Gillison Jr. said “lives will be […]
• Why Schools Are Allowing Kids to Take Mental Health Days November 12, 2021
  Dana Bierley, whose children have anxiety, depression, and sensory issues, just being in the classroom was difficult with the constant noise and frequent disruptions. Bierley supports school mental health days and recognizes the value to kids for a day off to mentally decompress. Experts agree that normalizing the conversation around mental health, including mental health […]
• Ahead of Veterans Day, Biden administration focuses on veteran suicides November 9, 2021
  The Biden Administration directed federal agencies to take new steps aimed at reducing suicide deaths among veterans, who make up 7.9% of the U.S. population, but account for about 13.5% of suicides. The transition out of military life can present unique challenges for veterans. “That first year post-transition is a high-risk time,” said Sherman Gillums, […]
• Why the Right Mental Health Diagnosis Is Lifesaving, According to People Who’ve Been Misdiagnosed November 8, 2021
  One woman says she received several misdiagnoses over 15 years before being correctly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Primary care providers may only be able to spend 15 minutes talking with patients, not enough time to diagnosis a mental health condition. Another common reason misdiagnoses happen is “not because an evaluator did something wrong; it’s because […]
• Barb Solish Discusses School Mental Health Days November 4, 2021
  "Embracing mental health days by schools helps normalize the conversation around mental health, which leads to understanding to empathy and more willingness to seek help when you need it," said Barb Solish, the Director of Youth and Young Adult Initiatives for NAMI. Solish says parents can start conversations with their children about mental health days […]
• Could These Mental Health Disorders Be Linked to a Higher Risk of Covid-19? November 2, 2021
  The CDC just added mood disorders like depression to a long list of mostly physical conditions that put people at high risk for severe coronavirus cases, and advocates believe it’s long overdue. “NAMI values the recognition by the CDC for the data that has emerged over the course of the pandemic showing people with depression […]
• The C.D.C. adds mental health conditions to its high-risk Covid list. October 28, 2021
  The CDC amended its website to add mental health illnesses, including depression and schizophrenia, to its list of health conditions that make people of any age more likely to become severely ill from Covid-19. The C.D.C. recommends boosters for people 18 or over with certain underlying health issues. According to the National Alliance on Mental […]
• Child mental health emergency: Rising numbers put pediatricians on alert October 27, 2021
  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently declared a mental health emergency for children and teens. They say the COVID-19 pandemic worsened a problem that already existed. The AAP said suicide rates among teens steadily rose between 2010 and 2020. Doctors say social interaction is vital to youth development. "If you think about the teen […]
• 911 operators need more training to handle mental health crisis calls. Here's why it matters. October 26, 2021
  A recent Pew Charitable Trusts survey found few responding call centers have staff with mental health crisis training. Most centers do not have access to mental health professionals who can help with the calls or first responders in the field trained to handle such crises. The data overrepresent areas with predominately white populations. Still, the […]
• Less than a year before ‘988’ suicide help number is activated, some states may not be ready October 26, 2021
  A new three-digit phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, set to launch next July, is expected to increase the use of mental health crisis services as access becomes easier. But advocacy organizations worry some states may not have the funding or capacity to support increased use of the “988” hotline and its related […]
• Some Missouri rural communities seeing a rise in drug use potentially due to undiagnosed mental illnesses (CW: drug use/suicide attempt) October 18, 2021
  More than 20 years later, Ginger Lenore Phillips said she finally knows what was leading her to abuse drugs. “It’s a mixture of bipolar I and Schizophrenia” she said. Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI CMO said drug-use is a common trend among people either misdiagnosed or improperly diagnosed with mental illness. “A lot of people who […]
• Latinos are experiencing a mental health crisis. This Spanish-language text line seeks to combat it October 14, 2021
  Spanish-language speakers often face difficulty accessing mental health resources, but that could change with the launch of the only national Spanish-language text crisis line. People in need of help can now text HOLA to 741741 or text 442-AYUDAME in WhatsApp. The Crisis Text Line experienced a surge in users during the pandemic. In 2020, the […]
• World Mental Health Day: Live On-Air Interview with Dr. Duckworth October 10, 2021
  For World Mental Health Day, Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI CMO, discusses the mental health impact of the pandemic and challenges to our state of mind. He talks about how children and teens are disproportionally affected and provides tips for parents on approaches for an open conversation on mental health concerns.
• NAMI CEO on Mental Illness Awareness Week for a Live On-Air Segment October 8, 2021
  For a live on-air segment highlighting Mental Illness Awareness Week, Dan Gillison, NAMI CEO, discussed the increase in mental illness amid the pandemic and breaking stigmas that keep many from seeking help. “We meet you where you are, not where we want you to be," he says about helping those struggling with mental health. He […]