New 24/7 DMH Behavioral Health Help Line for Massachusetts
Changing the number for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to 988 revamped access to crisis support across the country. Since its launch in July, the number of calls to 988 are up 30% in the five call centers in Massachusetts. This November article from NPR’s WBUR highlights the financial and structural changes to the effort and includes an interview with the Executive Director of Samaritans, Inc. which is the organization responsible for answering most of the 988 calls in our state: wbur.org/news/2022/11/01/988-suicide-crisis-lifeline-increase-calls-massachusetts. 988 is also accessible via text and is available in multiple languages with direct access to the Veterans Crisis Line.
988 will soon be joined by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL), which is set to launch in January 2023. It is designed to serve as a gateway to the behavioral health care system. Those seeking connections to mental health or substance use treatment will be encouraged to reach out to this number. The Mass BHHL will be staffed 24/7 by clinicians and peer specialists. It will provide clinical assessments, triage individual needs, book appointments at community behavioral health centers, and activate emergency services depending upon the circumstance. The graphic below from the Department of Mental Health outlines the workflow of the Help Line.
NAMI Mass secured four one-hour informational sessions with DMH Commissioner Brooke Doyle on the Behavioral Health Help Line. Commissioner Doyle will present for about 20minutes, then people can ask questions for the remainder of the time.
Informational Sessions Registration Links
December 7th, 2:00 pm: Meeting Registration - Zoom
December 15th, 3:00 pm: Meeting Registration - Zoom
December 20th, 11:00 am: Meeting Registration - Zoom
December 21st, 7:00 pm: Meeting Registration - Zoom
No, we don’t yet know what the number will be for the Help Line but promise to share that info with our readers once it is up and running! The number was announced post publication of this article: phone and text at 833-773-BHHL, as well as online at masshelpline.com.
