TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – More Kansans are calling the new 988 suicide hotline than the old crisis number.
The Kansas News Service reports that there was a 15% increase in calls to Kansas crisis hotlines in November 2022 when compared to a year before. The new 988 number launched last summer.
The additional stream of calls is so far not overwhelming Kansas call centers. Andy Brown, with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, told lawmakers that Kansas is answering calls within 20 seconds, which is 10 seconds faster than the nationwide average.
“We’re doing fairly well in that regard,” he said. “But obviously, the faster we can answer those calls, the better.”
Brown says the call centers can currently handle the capacity and he’s not requesting additional money from the Legislature.
