A group of faculty and students from The Chicago School met with members of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last summer at the Washington, D.C., Campus to discuss improvements that can be made to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline crisis centers and the mutual benefits students, and the centers can achieve by working more closely together.
The discussion focused on the transition this summer by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to an easier-to-remember name and shorter dialing code to help callers more easily access vital services. Launched on July 16, 2022, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—or 988 Lifeline—is one of the most important advancements for those facing a mental health crisis. The change is already making an impact on communities across the nation. In the first month since the transition, the 988 Lifeline experienced a 45% increase in overall call volume compared to August 2021.
The meeting with HHS Counselor for Health Policy Rachel Pryor was a unique experience for the students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program—including David Cole, Ayesha Khan, Nicole Zabasajja, and Indira Mohabeer—to discuss opportunities to advance mental health resources and support as well as share what inspired them to advance their education to serve the community as mental health practitioners.
Joining students in the discussion were university faculty, including Washington, D.C., Campus Dean Dorothy Collins, Chicago Campus Executive Dean Margaret Martyn, and Executive Director of Communication and Public Affairs Victor Abalos. Director of Public Affairs Denise Diaz organized a tour of the campus for Pryor and her staff.
Discussions like this between passionate students preparing to become change agents and representatives from the federal government are opportunities to influence national health initiatives and impact the work of future psychologists. During the discussion, Khan noted, “The major challenge would be having enough therapists. The need for resources like the 988 Lifeline is there and people will reach out, but do you have enough trained professionals to help those people?”
In response, students and faculty of The Chicago School proposed a solution to Pryor that would allow students to serve local communities and help the 988 Lifeline handle its uptick in volume: pay graduate students to staff the call lines. Khan recognized immediately the unique learning opportunities this hands-on experience would offer. “We would be crisis therapists,” she says. “When a client is in crisis, it’s all about what happens right now.”
Also, by staffing the 988 Lifeline, graduate students could help promote the resource to those who may not be aware of the recent changes. “I’m sure there are many people in the general public who don’t know that the 988 Lifeline has made the switch,” Cole says. “It is our duty to continuously spread the word to the people we know. Hopefully, we get to a place where it’s second nature to dial 988 when people are in a crisis situation.”
Mohabeer says it was important to meet those who can access and influence government officials. “They were eager to hear from promising psychologists who are about to be the next generation in the field as to why the government should prioritize mental health.”
“Really good connections were made,” Zabasajja recalls. “I feel like we made some really good strides.”
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