Are you experiencing a mental health crisis? CALL 988!
Call or text 988 to get support if you or a loved one are experiencing a Suicidal, Mental Health or a Substance Use Crisis.
You are not alone! There is NO SHAME in how you may be feeling!
You can call, text, or use an online chat tool at Lifeline (988lifeline.org).
Trained counselors will help you to de-escalate your situation and give you coping skills.
They can help defuse potentially volatile encounters and connect you to helpful resources.
The vast majority of callers are safely managed. Emergency dispatchers are contacted for just 2% of the calls.
Facts
- 8 million American adults experience a mental illness in a given year.
- More than half of Americans with mental illness do not receive treatment.
- Nearly 21 million Americans – more than the number of people who have all cancers combined – suffer from substance use disorders.
- There were 81,230 drug overdose deaths in the United States in the 12-months ending May 2020.
- 90% of Americans who need services for drug abuse do not get it.
- In 2020, 2.4 million nationwide calls were answered by the 988 lifeline.
- In Wisconsin, the annual number of calls to 988 numbers around 28,500.
- The suicide rate among Wisconsinites increased by 40% during the period 2000 to 2017.
- According to the 2022 report from The State of Mental Health in America, Wisconsin ranks in the top 20 of adults with mental illness, with 20% or over 900,000 adults diagnosed with mental illness.
- Of that number, about 23% of adults with mental illness report they haven’t been able to receive the treatment they need. And for young people with major depression, that number is far greater, with over 55% of young people reporting a lack of access.
- In Milwaukee, data shows increases in suicide attempts and deaths by suicide in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities. Suicide is also among the top causes of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 34 years old.
- The City of Milwaukee dispatches between 7,000 and 8,000 calls related to mental health annually, about 3% of police dispatched call volume, according to data provided to the Common Council
Mental illness and Substance Use Disorders are a brain-based disease.
Recovery is possible with proper medical care and treatment.
New Horizons Crisis House is here to help you!
RESOURCES
Mental health resources
Crisis lines
Milwaukee County 24-hour crisis line: 414-257-7222. When needed, a mobile team can meet adults and adolescents anywhere to talk and connect them to resources.
Pathfinders 24-hour local line for youth in crisis: 414-271-1560
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
HOPELINE: For emotional support, text “Hopeline” to 741-741
Other resources
IMPACT 211: Call 2-1-1 for information and referrals to a wide range of community services
Sixteenth Street: Call 414-672-1353 to set up an appointment with a mental health provider
Prevent Suicide Greater Milwaukee: Crisis resources
Milwaukee Health Department: Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Resources
Research Sources for above Facts:
How police and counselors respond to mental health calls in Milwaukee (jsonline.com)
Suicide deaths rise in Milwaukee County, officials highlight resources (jsonline.com)