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In the last six years, South Carolina has gone from 4 call centers to 1. This is due to a lack of sustainable funding. Our goal is to answer all calls placed from South Carolinian's, in state.While MHAGC is beyond grateful for the generous donations, and grants over the years, the introduction of 9-8 presents an ever increasing need for secure funding. South Carolina Lifeline call volume has increased 55% since 2016. With this new 988 number, that is expected to increase even more. In 2019, the Lifeline received nearly 2.3 million crisis calls across the US. 31,966 of those calls were from South Carolina. With the ability to provide local resources and emergency services, it is vital that those calls are answered in state. If a state does not provide funding to a local crisis center, their ability to effectively serve all community members is lowered. The Lifeline call center in South Carolina sets the hours and coverage areas of the Lifeline counselors to best address the calls that come in. They do this based off funding and staffing levels. To read more about our plan to fund the new 988 number, and insure that calls continue to be answered in state, head to our 988 Legislation page, and see how you can help! |
